What vegetable is this in my veg box this week? And how the heck is it eaten?

[Callimanco]

My veg box has gone too middle class for me. I thought this was rhubarb when I first spied it in the box but now I am wondering if it's some sort of spinachy thing? Chard? How do I eat it, and what with? It is very pretty...

Last week they sent khol rabi and that was a challenge enough.... still got half of it rotting in the veg drawer

I love chard - removed the central stem and use wherever you would use kavolo Nero/ kale/ spinach. I love it’s earthy tones with a roast chicken. Delicious.

Oh I actually add kohl rabi as a layer in potato gratin. Not one of its most exciting uses, but gets it eaten up.

I often add a layer of thinly sliced celeriac to potato gratin.

I love chard. We usually end up using it like a PP, in a chickpea, tomato and chard stew cooked with onion and various spices including mustard seeds. Lovely on its own or as a side dish with white fish.

Slice leaf off the stalks. Cut the stalks into pieces. Quickly steam fry (like stir frying, but using boiling water rather than oil) until they are nearly tender. Chuck sliced leaves in, still wet from rinsing. Put lid on.

Once cooked, allow to cool, then mix with softened finely chopped onion, cream cheese/goat's cheese, grate some nutmeg and add pepper. A big bunch (200g) and roughly equal weigh of cheese will do it. Either use it as a pasta sauce by stirring into tagliatelle or put into pastry (puff, shortcrust, feta), eggwash and bake until the pastry is golden.

It is lovely.

I just chop it up and cook with a splash of oil and add to a cooked breakfast, or in an omelette. Or use in a veggie or pasta bake.

Our greengrocer sold me a Mooli last week. It was huge. Very peppery. We tried it in salad and in coleslaw but none of us liked it. I had never seen one before.

Do you eat the stalk or the leafy bit?

chunkyrun You can eat all of it.

Pyjamasarethenewblack I stewed mine with sugar and had it with apple pie filing... realised half way through that it wasn’t rhubarb.

Love chard

@LuluJakey1- You can peel it, and cut into chips, or rounds, olive oil, salt/papper and roast, if you aren't keen on it raw. It becomes much more mellow!

Spinakopita. Drops the mic.

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pork-recipes/chickpea-chard-pork/

Spinakopita. Drops the mic

(ex sound engineer here) Don't. Drop. My. Mic.

And I've already suggested something that could vaguely count as Spanakobita depending upon what pastry you use. Because I'm awesome like that.

That mooli looks sort of leeky from here

What flavour is it?

I’ve never had a veg box, but why on Earth don’t they put in a note of what they send you?

I think Spinakopita and Italian Torta di Verdura are close cousins. I’ve been making it regularly to deal with varied WFH lunchtimes,

In Italian they’re called bietole or cime di rapa. Wilt them down and roast with butter and garlic in a frying pan, maybe a shallot or red onion too. Then chop with scissors. I often mix the chard OR spinach with courgettes or green beans. When cool enough, add ricotta and beaten egg with plenty of salt and pepper. It needs to be about 60/40 vegetables to egg mixture. Make a simple pastry case or use bought puff pastry, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 25 minutes at 180.

We eat half warm and keep the rest for latecomers.

Chard. I've still got some in my veg bed from last year. I use it cooked like spinach.

Wish I could get some rainbow chard. Used to buy every time I saw it but haven’t seen it for awhile.

Mooli (or Daikon) is a large radish, basically. It's nice simmered in stock, soy and a little sake.

New Chard is only just growing. I've got tons in the garden from self seeding last year, but it's not as fancy as fresh Rainbow Chard.

Rainbow chard. Looks pretty, needs cooking forever.

Don't forget a shit ton of salt.