For us local food aficionados finding new and interesting things to do with our garden produce is an ongoing struggle. As we dig through our CSA box, or harvest from our garden, the question always remains “what the heck am I going to do with all this veg”? Much attention has been given to Kale, the overabundant and delicious green that keeps on giving, but few tips have been proffered for Swiss Chard.

Not to fear my foodie friends, here is a golden chard recipe to soothe your soul.

I like chard. I really like rainbow chard. It’s beautiful, bountiful and just plain bangin. BUT, after a while, steamed or sautéed chard just starts to lose its appeal. So while eating spanakopita one day, and thinking of quiche (always gotta be planning the next meal), I thought to myself, what would their lovechild look like with a little infusion of chard? BAM…there you have Rainbow Swiss Chard and Feta Pie.

I had a lot of chard growing in my garden, a pie crust in the freezer, and an impulse buy of Foxhill Feta cheese burning a hole in my fridge. What is a man to do, but combine the lot, to make a fantastic and indulgent savoury pie? So without further ado, here’s how it went down on a sweltering Sunday afternoon.

Directions:
Caramelize onions and garlic in a pan with olive oil. In a separate pan, cook chard down to a manageable size. Mix with 500 grams of feta (or close to that). Add generous amount of sea salt, cracked pepper, and mix. Add mix to pie shell, flatten, and grate parmesan or comparable cheese on top (yes more cheese). Bake for 25-30 mins. As much as you want to eat this delight, allow to cool ( I did not do this).

 

Recommendation: have a couple glasses of wine whilst cooking (red or white). It helps with the wait time.

When it first comes out of the oven it is runny and won’t keep its shape. Give it some time. Once cooled, the pie keeps a great profile, holds a good loft, and presents itself well on a plate. Serve with some greens from the garden and you’re set. So if you’re swimming in chard like I am, consider the Rainbow Chard and Feta Pie. It’s killer.

Ingredients:

Large bunch of Chard
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp of olive oil (or more, it’s good for your skin).
Sea salt
Cracked Pepper
500 grams of feta (or whatever you’ve got)
1 Pie Crust
Parmesan, Romano, or other hard cheese to top.
Love.

Timeline: 15 mins choppin and mixin. 20-25mins cookin. However long you want to take to eat it.

Author: Will Fawcett Hill – Community Food Programmer, Ecology Action Centre