There’s no excuse not to eat your greens at this time of year – they’re everywhere – chard, kale, spinach, asparagus, Spring greens, etc.
My absolute favourite green vegetable at the moment is rainbow chard, which I will eat sautéed, steamed or thrown into salads or soups.  I had stir-fried chard this morning for breakfast with a baked salmon fillet!

It’s packed with phytonutrients so a great source of antioxidants with anti-inflammatory benefits.   Rainbow chard is easily recognized by its vibrant colours from dark greens to red, purple and a rainbow of colours in its stalks and veins
The flavour is comparable to spinach.  It is best to remove the stems and ribs from the centres of the leaves, because they can be tough and fibrous.  I tend to cook the stems separately as in this recipe, which I use for all green leafy vegetables not just chard.

Chard can be washed, dried and cut 2 days ahead and chilled in sealed bags lined with dampened paper towels.  It can be cooked 4 hours ahead and reheated over a low heat on a hob or in a microwave.

Serves 4
Preparation time       10 minutes
Cooking time             11 minutes

Ingredients

1.5 kg chard (any type) or 2 large bunches

2tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

salt to season

Preparation method

  1. Cut stems and centre ribs from chard, discarding any tough portions.
  2. Then cut the stems and ribs crosswise into 5cm pieces
  3. Stack chard leaves and roll up lengthwise into cylinders.
  4. Cut cylinders crosswise to make 2.5cm wide strips.
  5. Head oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat and add garlic and salt to flavour.
  6. Saute for a couple of minutes.
  7. Add chard stems and ribs and cook for another few minutes until stems are tender.
  8. Add chard leaves in batches covering the pan with a lid.
  9. Stir occasionally until leaves are wilted before adding next batch.
  10. This process takes approximately and 4-6 minutes. 
  11. Transfer to a serving bowl.