Swiss Chard Fritters

Swiss Chard is a favourite vegetable here on the farm. It’s a super nutritious leafy green that we can grow and harvest for much of the year - almost as long as kale. It is very versatile: steam and eat with butter, make spanakopita (a favourite), or use the large leaves as a wrap, replacing flour tortillas or rice wraps.

OR…make fritters. Fritters are a great way to use up a bunch of any vegetable, but these Swiss Chard fritters are particularly tasty and delicate. They make a delicious appetizer or main course, and go oh so well with a fresh tzatziki. Like all of my favourite recipes, this one is flexible. You can play with the amount of herbs, garlic, scallion, and cheese to make the fritters suit what you are craving.

Ingredients

• 6-8 mature Swiss Chard leaves, stems removed and coarsely chopped

• 1 bunch parsley and/or dill

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup flour

• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled into pea-sized pieces

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Salt 

• Oil for frying

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Add de-stemmed and chopped Swiss Chard. Allow to boil for 4 minutes, drain, and set aside.

In a food processor, mince garlic and herbs. Add eggs and flour, salt and pepper to taste. Give the drained and cooled Swiss chard a gentle squeeze to remove excess water, add to the food processor, and pulse until the ingredients are combined. The mixture should resemble a thick pancake batter. Fold in the feta cheese and scallions.

In a cast iron pan, add oil until ½ inch deep, turning to medium heat. Carefully add a small drop of water to the oil. Once the drop of water sizzles upon contact, the oil is hot enough for frying.

Add batter in ¼ cup amounts to the pan, making sure the fritters don’t touch each other. When air bubbles begin to appear in the fritters, they are ready to flip. Cook until each fritter is golden brown and cooked through. Keep warm until serving.

Makes approximately 12 fritters. Serve with tzatziki or raita.