Well I have lots of chard seedlings coming up from some rainbow chard which had been let go to seed then pulled out and left to compost in different areas of the yard (sort of on purpose)

At the moment we do a pasta with garlic, onions, bacon and chard fried up and then add some ricotta and then add to pasta, but I'm sure there is loads of recipes out there.

So I am after some recipes which use spinach/chard/silverbeet, letting me utilize the fresh stuff I have growing in my garden.

What a coincidence Vanessa, I have just trimmed, divided and moved some so have a quite a bit to eat. I love it steamed and served with a bit of shaved parmasen, chopped and added to soups before serving, used as lasagna sheets instead of wheat lasagna.... Hope thats a help. What I did notice that was particularly interesting is how the different colours/varieties have different root structures that resemble there lineage to and from other forms of Beta vulgaris including beetroot & mangle wurzel.

I put spinach/silverbeet/spinach beet into omelettes, make a spinach and fetta filling for stuffed chicken breast, I am sure there is other stuff too, I just cant think of it at the moment

I use it in canellonni instead of spinach and frittata as well.Its such a mainstay of my garden and diet that I wouldn't be without it.Let a few plants go to seed and you'll have some for many years to come.Come drought or flood . I haven't tried this idea but you could use it in place of the seaweed sheets for sushi and nori , with a good squeeze to get the excess moisture out.

Love the stuff

cook up some rice
cut a chicken breast into small pieces and cook
finely chopped onion
mix together
Wilt spinach leaves
stuff teaspoon of mix into wilted leaves, wrap
place in tray
mix up a light cheese sauce pour over and bake until golden
(works well with cabbage leaves too)
you can replace cheese sauce with curry sauce

cheers
David

Hey hey - my namesake! This is quick and yummy. 1 sheet puff pastry defrosted in a greased pie tin. Heat oven to 200c Combine three eggs, 1/3 cup cream, about six leaves of silverbeet (wilted in microwave or on stovetop and finally chopped), chopped spring onions, about 1 tbs dill, splodge of worcestershire sauce and any other leftovers you might have ie grated cheese, bacon finely sliced, tomato (not too much as it get soggy!), other herbs etc. Combine and pour into puff pastry lined pie tin. Fold over the four corners of the puff pastry (doesn't need to cover fully) and bake for 30 minutes or until contents set and pastry browned.

lovin these receipes, keep em comin peoples!!!

slightly off topic - why can I buy baby spinach leaves and use them as a substitute for lettuce in my salad sandwich but I'm told else where to boil spinach in two changes of water to make it safe to eat??? I'm assuming that chard and silverbeet don't have whatever spinach contains? I'm growing silverbeet for the chicky babes but if it is nice/good to eat I'll be serving it up on my own plate too!!!!
I've heard of chard but never seen/had it that I know of, is it similar to the other two in appearance??

Hey Gang!

I must admit to growing, but not being a fan of, silver beet. That was until Mrs Wombats Thai style vegetable curry curry with silver beet. All of a sudden I am a fan!

It is just a case of cooking up the veggies witha bit of curry powder, throwing in some Thai spice and coconut milk and there you have it.

Yuuuuuuum!

Nev

fruitful: there is Common Spinach Spinacia oleracea and New Zealand Spinach Tetragonia tetragonoides this is the one that needs double cooking.

thanks Judi B, I have nz spinach, now to find the other stuff!! can't wait to try some of these recipes 'specially CURRY YUMMMMMMMMM

Fruitfull,

I have grown Silverbeet (Fordhook giant) before which was a really productive plant, just keep picking the younger leaves from the center, leaving the thicker older leaves to shade the ground and eventually die and drop off (that was until the MIL got to it and 'tidied it up' clearing all the older leaves from around the base and within a week or two the couple of plants that had been going for what seemed like for ever had shriveled up and died, I think it was one of the first times DP told MIL to just leave things be LOL)

The stuff I have at the moment was some saved seed I got from someone else, was supposed to be Rainbow Chard, but it never really developed any color just white stems (sometimes yelowish, and some have slight pink red coloring, but not the color I have seen it pictured as), with green foliage, probably looks a between spinach (flat leaves) and silverbeet (curled/wrinkled leaves) I like the flatness of it because there isn't as much room for bugs (slugs earwigs etc) to hide. I started with about 4 plants which I let go to seed the cut the seed stalks off and laid then around other areas of the yard (and put them in with the chook pen) and now I have them coming up in all sorts of areas, not quite at weed status yet but at the stage where I'm not too concerned if I pull out a couple by mistacke with other weeds.

I'm pretty sure I could dig a few seedlings which are comming up at the moment if you would like to try them.

With the NZ spinach, is this because of oxalates? And what do you mean by double cooking? I'm afraid we ate a little bit last summer fresh and not cooked at all... Oops!

I grow it as a staple for my chooks! They love it all. I love it sauteed with garlic & butter.

Hi Vanessa, that would be great if you can get some seedlings for me perhaps we could trade at one of the LETS markets??

lmd80 - from what I have read you'd have to eat more that 'just a bit' to be affected by whatever it is that is in the leaves, double cooking I take it means that you change the water twice in the time that you boil it, perhaps replacing the water with boiled water from the kettle??? not 100% sure though, perhaps someone else will educate both of us!!

Bandicoot Valley - is that spinach or silverbeet?? how long do you saute it before you know it is cooked?? sounds yum, love garlic!!!

From memory my sister boiled up some spinach and after she drained it she put grated cheese in and stirred it through, I'm ashamed to say that I didn't try it -it didn't look very nice at all but my oldest tried it and she said it actually tasted nice.

I stir-fry it in olive oil and garlic with water left on from washing. When the water is evaporated I add the juice of half a lemon and let it bubble for a couple of seconds before taking it off the heat. I mix up whatever greens are growing in my garden this way... Tonight it was silverbeet, celery leaves and parsley.