Allotments 4 All

The French call chard "Blette" and use it to make a classic sweet tart.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N0m5Qt1ipro

If you haven't tasted spinach, try a small, new beetroot leaf, to me chard tastes slightly (but no much) milder than that. Personally I prefer spinach as has a lighter flavour again.

I used it instead of spinach in a fish pie I made last night. Also lovely cooked with garlic and lemon with some parmigiano, over pasta. Mm. :)

Spinach/Chard & Rice Balls.

I pick my chartd leaves when yhey are young & eat them raw in salads....yummy!  ;D

I totally love spinach so dont listen to anyone, just try it yourself.

Remember some people think 'big macs' are fantastic!  :P

Blanched then tossed in olive oil, chilli and garlic, with lemon squeezed over. Divine!

While we're talking about chard/spinach/perpetual spinach...with all this rain it's all growing like crazy so I went out this afters and chopped it all down and have been blanching it. And it occured to me that.....no white fly, no black fly and NO slug/snails? And it got me thinking....I've never had any of them attacked by pests atorl, ever (tho I routinely put bio pellets down after I've sown them but then they've been left). Is this everyone else's experience?

I like all leafy greens but children often do not so I wilt them and put them through the liquidiser then add them to the gravy for cottage pie or the sauce for spag bol.

A lot of things we do not like on their own are better mixed with other flavours.

Another quick tasty is to stir fry with chopped bacon and onion, add soy sauce and a tiny bit of cornflour to thicken then serve in a jacket potato. You can put a pinch of sugar or teaspoon of honey into this mix too.