porter farms

In order to distinguish it from French spinach varieties, it was given the
name 'Swiss Chard' by 19th century seed catalog publishers. Nevertheless,
the earliest references to Swiss Chard can be found in Sicily.  A relative of
spinach and beets, it shares a lot of the health benefits that those veggies
offer, including high concentrations of Vitamins A, K and C, as well as fiber
and protein. In fact, some people refer to it as the 'King of All Vegetables' due to its nutritional content, beating even broccoli and its cousin spinach! Now is the time to add this important vegetable to your table!

Swiss Chard and Tomato Fritta
1 lb swiss chard
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 egg whites
2 whole eggs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium tomato, sliced

Chop the chard. In a skillet, sauté the garlic and onions in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the chard, cover and lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain excess juice.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in the chard. Coat the bottom of a skillet with the remaining oil and return to medium heat. When hot, pour egg mixture and arrange tomato slices on top.

Cover and cook until the edges are firm and the bottom is golden and beginning to brown. Turn frittata over and cook for about 5 more minute until eggs are cooked. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Swiss Chard and Lentil Soup
1 cup dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 bunch swiss chard leaf, rinsed and roughly torn, touch stems removed
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 red potatoes, washed, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 white onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, scrubbed, sliced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
5 -6 cups chicken broth or 5 -6 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablelspoon chopped fresh marjoram
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon seasoning salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients in a 5 to 6 quart crockpot, stir, and cook for 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. Lentils and other vegetables should be cooked but not overly soft. Remove bay leaves, stir and serve with fresh baked cornbread and jalapeno pepper sauce on the side.

Savory Swiss Chard with Pork Chops and Potatoes
4 pork chops (bone in, about 1-inch thick, 1/2 lb each)
1 1/2 lbs red swiss chard (stems removed and chopped in 1-inch pieces)
1 medium onion (cut in half and thin sliced)
12 small new potatoes, thin sliced with the skins on
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 cup fontina, grated
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste

First remove the pork chops from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature. Brush well with 1 tablespoon olive oil and then season well with salt, pepper and paprika on both sides. Sear in a hot frying pan, about 2 minutes on each side.

Next, spray the casserole dish with a non stick spray and add the swiss chard and top with the sliced onions. Add some salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil (1 tablespoon). Lightly toss. Then top with the chicken broth and the 4 pork chops.

Sprinkle the cheeses on top of the swiss chard and onions, around the pork chops.

In a small bowl add the potatoes, remaining olive oil, salt, pepper and dried thyme and then add them on top of the swiss chard and cheese around the pork chops. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 or minutes until the chops are done.