Swiss Chard really is a show stopper in Spring and Fall garden with its red and yellow stems surrounded by green leafy delicious foliage.  At Bloom Where You’re Planted we grow a “Rainbow blend seed” and harvest Swiss chard all Winter(under frost cloth when temps dip below freezing) with an abundance to share in Spring! However, a lot of people don’t know what to do with this leafy green. Many don’t even know what it is. Let me share with you how I use this veggie to impress my family and  company alike. I make a Frittata. I know! It sounds so impressive and European. Let me break it down for you, egg pizza. When my kids ask, “What’s for breakfast?” I answer proudly, “I am making a Frittata” I add a little accent when I say it, imagining that I am a world renown chef. My kids then bring me back to earth by commenting, “Oh yeah, the egg pizza.” However the joke is on them because the “egg pizza” is VERY good for them and I never have leftovers!

Two things you will need to make this is a working broiler and a oven safe skillet. Without those two items your frittata is out of reach, I am afraid.

First I gather lots of Swiss Chard from the garden, but then again I am cooking for a small army.(4 teenagers) I know! Say a special prayer for me tonight. I tear off the leaf from the stem part and put the leafy parts into a large bowl. Next I chop the stems and sauté them with onion and garlic in a skillet.

Sometimes I cook bacon in the skillet first. I use the oil from the bacon to sauté the Swiss chard stems ,garlic and onion.  I remove and chop the bacon to put on top later. Meanwhile I get one of the kids to crack a dozen eggs in a bowl. Not one of the teenagers. Heaven knows they are NOT awake yet! So after you have fished out all the egg shells from the bowl of eggs that the six year old cracked, you are ready to move forward. One step forward 3 steps back, but so worth all those extra steps to have a cheerful helper in the kitchen that still loves you to the moon and back! Or as my wise little man said, ” I love you all the way to God! His love has no ending, so I win!” Out of the mouths of babes! So if you are really lucky you will have a little guy who loves you all the way to God, whose love has no ending!

It is time to add those luscious Swiss chard greens. Pile them on top. It will look like A LOT. Don’t worry it will cook way down.

So to catch you up, when I am looking at the beautiful combination of sautéed onion, garlic and Swiss chard stems, with all those leafy greens on top, I pour the eggs over it all. I scatter the crumbled bacon pieces on top and let it cook on low for about 10 minutes until I can jiggle the pan and see that it is mostly firmed up. Grating a little parmesan cheese over the top makes it amazing!  It is then that I pop it under the broiler until it is all firmed up and golden brown on top. Note to self; don’t get distracted during this part. No matter what happens DON’T  leave the Frittata too long under the broiler! Unless you see real, actual blood, then stay on course. Even if you see blood, your snoozing teens will be able to rouse themselves and put that Scout first aid to use. They will most certainly need a hardy meal once the crisis is over. WATCH THAT FRITTATA!

I then cut it up into wedges and serve it up. Hence the name “egg pizza”  Everyone will be very impressed and it takes a lot to impress a teenager! Practice making this for your family so that you will be ready to whip it up when company comes into town. If your teen is impressed just think how impressed company will be.

I never make it the same twice. Sometimes I put bacon on it, if I don’t have bacon I do chicken. Sometimes it is all veggies. Whatever I have in season goes into this dish, but I have to say Swiss Chard really shines in a Frittata! I am hoping you will grow Swiss Chard and enjoy it in a Frittata! Happy gardening and eating what you grow!

My inspiration for this dish came from non other than Chef Nathan at Growing a Greener World. My six year old is strangely, a HUGE fan of Chef Nathan! He will put up with watching the whole show just to see his favorite chef work his magic! Here is a link to Chef Nathan making his Swiss Chard Frittata. All I have to say is, “Come on Chef Nathan, use the stems!” http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/swiss-chard-frittata-recipe/

This post was shared at Simple Homestead Blog Hop