My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm

GreenBlueberry on 6/8/2011, 10:25 am

My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm... compost

. I washed it very well, and added to a soup, but I could still taste it. Is this normal?

quiltbea on 6/8/2011, 10:32 am

Maybe you're waiting too long to cut them.
When they are about 8" tall you can start snapping off the outer leaves that are 4-5" long. New leaves will replace those that you cut.
You want them young and tender.
Continue cutting this way all thru the summer and into winter. Some cold weather won't hurt your chard.
Good luck.

GreenBlueberry on 6/8/2011, 10:36 am

I think they were tender. As soon as they got 6 leaves each, I took 2
from each plant (I grew them from seed). I guess it's better they taste
like "nature" and not fertilizer. But my kids may not appreciate it Smile

westie42 on 6/8/2011, 12:07 pm

It is more often given a minor role in recipes because as you discovered it's not that attractive in taste alone. Can't recall the recipe but once I braised it with onions in a vinegar based recipe possibly had soy sauce too, that all masked the taste. It is more well known as a very healthy source of vitamins than flavor.

Denese on 6/8/2011, 5:00 pm

I've only eaten Chard once, several years ago, and I wasn't impressed. The couple we were having dinner with had grown it themselves and were very excited to share it with us. They raved about how good it was, and I tried not to let on that I really wasn't enjoying it. I did "clean my plate" as my mother taught me, of course. Smile

To me it didn't really have any taste, except for the butter that I slathered on it. If it had tasted like compost I don't think I could have been so polite. Laughing

Hope it tastes better for you in the future.

BackyardBirdGardner on 6/8/2011, 5:04 pm

My plan is to bury it in my salads and crush it with dressings. All I want is the vitamins.

westie42 on 6/8/2011, 9:00 pm

You have got the right idea BBG. Many of the raw foodies or the juicers and smoothie folks insist on raw greens taking up most of the bulk of their preps strictly for the vitamins and nutrients. Things like wheat grass and kale juiced will blow your whistle but are extra healthful for those that take that attitude. I believe most bad health and disease comes from your own poor dietary practices and concerns. Grow and consume an assortment of this stuff that is what MM was invented for.

altagarden on 6/8/2011, 9:05 pm

Everyone in my family likes this recipe, even the baby. It's very sweet thanks to the sweet potatoes. If you think your kids won't like a mild curry, do that part at the very end, after you separated out some for the kids.

http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2009/04/08/curried-lentils-with-sweet-potatoes-and-swiss-chard-and-roasted-cauliflower/

I've never bothered adding the cauliflower.

westie42 on 6/8/2011, 9:13 pm

Love a good Indian style curry dish. Thanks. Glad this is turning out to be recipe night. Why not have Wednesday recipe days.

My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm

My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm

Re: My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm

Re: My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm

Re: My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm

Re: My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm

Re: My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm

Re: My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm

Re: My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm

Re: My Swiss chard tastes like... ummm