Swiss chard is a gorgeous veggie garden staple.  Red-stemmed types strongly resemble rhubarb, white-stemmed types look like bok choy and rainbow chard is truly a mix of different colors presented in a single glorious bunch.  

As beautiful and loved as it is, I confess that I’ve considered removing it from the Backyard Eats curated list of varieties since the beginning. But this year it’s made its way from the chopping block to my handmade live edge walnut cutting board and into my belly. And that has everything to do with this recipe.  Basically, these are health, comfort and satiety in one bite.

My wife, Allison, gets full credit for finding and cooking this, which makes use of other fresh garden herbs and turns a huge bunch of leafy greens into a filling, savory treat.  

Share your favorite way to eat Swiss chard or other greens by emailing me at chris@backyard-eats.com

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add chard and simmer for five minutes. Remove from the pot and drain well, patting leaves dry with a paper or kitchen towel.

Place chard in a food processor with herbs, nutmeg, sugar, flour, garlic and eggs. Pulse until well blended. Fold in feta by hand.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, spoon in three heaping tablespoons of mixture for each fritter (you should be able to fit three fritters per batch). Press down gently on the fritter to flatten. Cook one to two minutes per side until golden brown. 

Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and repeat. Serve warm, with lemon wedges, tzatziki or plain yogurt, if desired.