Safe from 6 months. Swiss chard provides vitamins A, C, and K, plus magnesium, potassium, and iron. The colorful stems contain different antioxidants than the leaves.
Raw swiss chard leaves are mildly bitter and slightly earthy with a tender, delicate texture, while the stalks are firmer, crunchy, and more assertively bitter with a flavor reminiscent of beets. Cooking the leaves briefly transforms them to a soft, silky texture with a mild savory flavor similar to spinach, making them far more appropriate for young babies than the stalks, which require significantly longer cooking to become tender. The leaves pair naturally with lemon, garlic, olive oil, white beans, parmesan, eggs, and nutmeg.
Strip leaves from tough stems (stems need longer cooking). Wilt leaves in a pan with olive oil until very soft. Finely chop and mix into eggs or soft grains.
Soft wilted leaves, finely chopped. Mix into other foods.
Sautéed, in pasta, frittata, soups. Stems can be cooked and eaten too.
Ingredients
Steps
Use only the leaves for babies under 9 months. The stalks can be diced finely and sauteed for 10 to 12 minutes until tender for older babies and toddlers.
Garden notes
Very hardy and productive. Can harvest outer leaves continuously all season.
Heat-tolerant green that produces all season - one of the longest-harvesting crops.
Harvest for baby
Strip leaves from stems - stems need longer cooking. Steam leaves until very soft for babies.
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