A little green dream

LAST week I brought a beautiful basket of new seasons Swiss chard into the Midleton farmers market. Juicy white stalks and lots of green with leaf. It’s two beautiful vegetables in one.

A couple of customers’ faces lit up when they saw it but overall there was little interest. I wanted to tell anyone who would listen to me that it is virtually my favourite green vegetable. Kale just pips it at the post in winter.

When I was little, green vegetables were definitely not my favourite. Now I love them with a passion. It’s almost like a craving.

I would quite happily sit down to a plate of chard for supper with nothing more than a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and a few flakes of sea salt and a little pepper. Sadly, chard is often forgotten or passed over, partly because many are unsure what to do with it. The sweet earthy flavour of this versatile vegetable marries well with lots of other vegetables, meat, fish and shellfish. The leafy green tops can be stripped off the juicy stalks and they can be served separately or together.

Swiss chard with its thick, creamy coloured stalks is possibly best known, but we also grow ruby chard that has vibrant red stalks and a variety called rainbow chard which is so beautiful in either an herbaceous border or vegetable plot. If you only have a little space in your garden it’s worth considering. It’s quite hardy and will keep you well supplied throughout the winter. Meanwhile, look out for it in farmers’ markets and farm shops and here are several delicious ways to enjoy it.