My chard grows to great height and girth. I never harvest the plants until I have warning of imminent frost, since it is part of my decorative garden and people enjoy observing the plant’s beauty. Harvesting a few leaves every now and again encourages new growth and as the plants are so lush, no one misses them. [Note to passersby, do not pick! The plants are for the visual enjoyment of everyone!]
As the weather cools, here is a creation that uses just a few chard leaves.
Packages of Chard in Soup
Ingredients:
As many chard leaves as the amount of packages desired or as many as you have the patience to stuff
Ground turkey, dark meat
Fresh peeled and chopped water chestnuts
Chopped fresh ginger root
Chopped chives and fresh cilantro
Method:
Cut the stems of the chard from the leaf by making a vee shape where the stems meet the chard. Slice the stems and flash boil and drain, reserving them as garnish for the soup in the final assembly of the dish. Place the chard leaves in boiling water for about a minute. The goal is to have the leaves pliant enough to roll but not be cooked. Refresh and cool them while preparing stuffing.
Mix the turkey with the water chestnuts and chopped ginger. For a half a pound of meat I used 4 water chestnuts and about an inch cube of ginger root. Add chopped chives to taste and a little chopped fresh cilantro.
Lay the leaves on a flat surface. Place on each leaf place the meat mixture in a small roundish patty. How much stuffing you use for each will depend on the size of the leaf.
Enclose the meat by first folding in the sides and then continue by rolling the leaf from bottom to top. You should have a fairly neat package. Refrigerate while you make the soup or preferably make the soup first!
