Swiss Chard Ideas: This green is so versitile. Chop the leafy portion and use it like cooked spinach. Saute with a little onion, garlic, add crumbled feta cheese, lemon juice, and stuff in pita bread--ala spinach pies/pizza. Or do much the same preparation, add sour cream and stuff a baked potato. (Remember swiss chard takes a little more time to cook than spinach.) The chard stems can be used where one would use celery--in mixed sautes, stuffings etc. Chard, as well as other dark green leafy vegetables are rich in folic acid--essential to health, and shown to reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. It also plays a such critical role in the early development of the human fetus that the government mandates certain foods be fortified with it to prevent birth defects.

You can use swiss chard leaves too; just dip them briefly in boiling water. Or stuff peppers with this filling.

Chard is easy to prepare and is delicious in combination with various beans. Saute about 2 packed quarts of chard, 1/2 c. onion, and 4-6 cloves of garlic in 2T olive oil until wilted (10 min.). Add salt, pepper, a little allspice, oregano, basil, and 1/4 c. sherry or white wine if desired. Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese before serving over rice or beans.