In Praise of

… Swiss Chard and Spinach

This month we showcase Swiss chard and spinach which can be prepared in the same way, although there are recipes that focus on the stems of the Swiss chard plant. Swiss chard has a sweeter taste then spinach and has larger leaves. It is rich in calcium and provides plenty of fibre and vitamin A. When buying Swiss chard look for brightly coloured, almost shiny leaves; ‘Bright lights’ is a variety with red, yellow and white stems. Spinach should be eaten soon after purchase and can be made in to soups, croquettes, soufflés and crepes. Both work very well with cream and cheese which enrich their flavours. Here are four recipes to celebrate both Swiss chard and spinach in all their glory. Enjoy.

Swiss Chard with Garlic and Chilli

Cook time : 15 min serves 2

Ingredients

300g Swiss chard ½ clove garlic finely chopped ½ small red chilli finely chopped or 1/4 tsp chilli flakes 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper 1 tablespoon water

Method

Finely slice the stalks and set aside, slice the leaves roughly. In a pan with a lid, fry the stalks with chilli, garlic and olive oil with lid on for five minutes until soft, then add the leaves and cook for another five to ten minutes with lid on. Add 1 tablespoon of water if it is dry or catching, plus salt and pepper to taste. Goes well with any grilled meat.

Swiss Chard and Spring Onion Tart

Prep time 30 minutes. Cook time 40 minutes. Serves 6. Oven temp 200c/Gas mark 6

Ingredients

25g of butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium olives chopped 500g Swiss chard, stems cut into 1cm slices, leaves shredded 1 garlic clove finely chopped or crushed 1 egg 50g parmesan grated 150g gruyere cheese grated Six spring onions finely sliced, one rectangular sheet of puff pastry 100g grams of ricotta cheese, two teaspoons sesame seeds

Method

Put the butter and oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat, add the onion and Swiss chard stems, fry until soft, about 10 minutes. Then stir in the Swiss chard leaves, garlic plus some salt and pepper and cook until soft. Leave to cool and then add egg, parmesan, gruyere cheese and spring onions. Line the base and sides of a shallow baking tin (22x 32 cm) with greaseproof paper, drape pastry on top. Gently push down to fit the tin. Top with chard mixture to evenly cover the base, then dot with tablespoons of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 40 min until golden and crisp. Goes well with tomato salad.

Creamed Spinach

Prep time 5 min, cooking time 10 min

Ingredients

1kg of fresh spinach chopped roughly 50ml double cream 25g butter ¼ tsp nutmeg 25g parmesan grated

Method

Wash and roughly chop the spinach, cook in a pan until wilted and soft, stir in butter, cream, salt and pepper and grated nutmeg, cook through until thick and creamy, stir in parmesan before serving. Goes well alongside grilled lamb/chicken. Can be used as a filling for omelettes.

Spinach Crespolini

Prep time: 30 min, Cook time: 20 min. Serves two. Oven temp 180 C Gas mark 4

Ingredients

6 crepes (basic batter mixture: one egg, 130m ml of milk, 50g of plain flour, one tbsp oil) 20g butter 300g of spinach washed and chopped ½ leek finely chopped One tbsp. olive oil 150g ricotta cheese, 75g grated parmesan, 25g cheddar cheese grated One egg yolk 25g cheddar cheese grated To make the tomato sauce: One tin of tomatoes, one tbsp olive oil & one tsp of tomato puree ½ clove garlic, one tsp dried parsley ½ teaspoon sugar

Method:

To make the tomato sauce put the tin of tomatoes, oil, puree, herbs, salt & pepper and sugar in a small pan and cook over a medium heat until thick, about 20/30 min; set aside. Heat a pancake pan, medium size, brush with oil or butter, add two tablespoons of batter, turn and tilt the pan so that the batter covers the base. Cook for three minutes until the underside is cooked and flip over and cook the other side for two minutes. Slide out the crepe and make more the same way. Preheat oven and grease a medium oven proof dish. Wash and cut of the stalks of the spinach; set aside. Cook the spinach in the water clinging to the leaves after washing for five minutes, then drain and chop. Melt the butter with the olive oil and in a frying pan, fry the chopped stalks and leeks for ten minutes or until soft, then add the chopped spinach leaves and cook for a further five minutes on a low heat. Transfer to a bowl and mix with ricotta and egg yolk, and 50g of the parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture on the crepes and roll up, place in the ovenproof dish. Pour over the tomato sauce and finish with the rest of the parmesan and cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven. Goes well with : crusty bread and a green salad.