Swiss Chard Sauté with Toasted Coconut

Swiss Chard stands bold and tall in a bed with marigolds, tomatoes, and peppers.  If you’d like to know more about the Herb Wall in the background, read last year’s post here.

Can’t get much fresher than this!  The chard only had to travel approximately 50 feet to the Outdoor Kitchen.  This leafy green is very heat tolerant while growing, however one should harvest it early or late in the day as the leaves will wilt quickly when harvested in full sun.

This is the ‘Rhubarb’ variety, which we planted for its beautiful red color, but don’t confuse it with the rhubarb plant, which is grown for its stalks and has poisonous leaves.

Swiss chard is in the beet family and can be used much like spinach.  Garden Chef Megan McCarthy threw the stems in first to get a head start on the leaves, which have a shorter cooking time.  You can see that she also toasted the unsweetened coconut and pine nuts.

Swiss Chard Sauté with Toasted Coconut

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch Swiss chard, roughly chopped leaves and stems

1 small shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup white wine or water

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

salt and black pepper, to taste

squeeze of fresh lemon

2 T shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted

2 T pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Heat olive oil in large skillet over a medium heat.  Add Swiss chard stems, shallots and garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add chard leaves to skillet and continually stir, as greens wilt down.  Add in white wine or water if needed.  Sauté greens for 3 minutes and season with cayenne, salt and pepper.  Remove from heat.  Add squeeze of lemon and toss with toasted coconut and pine nuts to serve.

Find printable versions of the Garden Chef recipes here.