Swiss Chard - What do I do with it?

[funhouse8]

My DH planted a garden and we are clueless. One of his plants is swiss chard and it isn't looking so well. The leaves are starting to turn brown. Do we have to pick it and use it like lettuce or do you pick it once? Please help, I'm not even sure how to cook it. Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever tasted it either. LOL Men you got to love them.

 

[Mamu]

You pick the outer leafs and it continues to grow through the growing season, right up till the winter. It's the last crop I pick from the garden. Mine grows up till November. Pick and discard the brown leaves. Chard needs to be sprayed on a regular basis, it get a leaf miner. This could be the reason your leaves are brown. You can tell if you have this problem, there are white spots on the leaves where the miner has devoured the green inter leaf. If you have miners cut the chard down and start spraying, when the new leafs apear they will be healthy and miner free.

One of my favorite vegetables. It's a leafty green with a sweet taste. Steam it and add butter or after steaming you can braise it with olive oil and garlic.

My favorite use for swiss chard is to make a chard and pork filling for my ravioli's. Yummy.