Hello everyone. These days in my garden the Mangold is in such a great abundance and I am discovering more and more ways to use it in the kitchen. I tried it in soups, as a salad and in stews, but the best way I like it is as a pesto and so I will share with you below how I make it.
But first, lest learn why the Mangold is so good for us and deserves to be recognized as a valuable element in our gardens and kitchens.
In #bulgaria the Mangold (Swiss Chard) is not very popular, but from my gardening experience I noticed that it is really easy to grow it. The plant doesn't need much care after it is well established and adapted in the garden. It provides great abundance of leafs for at least few months and I personally would need just a few plants per year to meet my needs. It is a great companion plant for potatoes, cauliflower, onions and more. On the photos above and below you can see how I plant my garden in raised beds mulched with cardboard and straw. This method I learned from #permaculture and my experiments are quite successful. I will share more about this in another post dedicated about gardening.
No doubt the Mangold (Swiss Chard) and actually all the greens are very healthy and important food for us. Here are some values I found - look also at the link below
Nutritional Value of Swiss Chard
The many health benefits attributed to chard are due to its impressive list of vitamins, nutrients, and organic compounds, which include vitamin K, vitamin C, and vitamin A, as well as vitamin E, riboflavin, and vitamin B6. In terms of minerals, Swiss chard has a wealth of magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, sodium, and copper. Furthermore, in addition to dietary fiber, chard has a significant amount of polyphenolic antioxidants, phytonutrients, and enzymes that are unique and highly beneficial to your health.
If you want to read more about the health benefits of the Swiss Chard, you can look in this article - https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/swiss-chard.html
As I said my favorite way to use the Mangold is to make a pesto, so here is what you will need to make it.
Ingredients:
12-15 leafs Mangold
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
8-10 leafs basil
100 ml olive oil (little more if needed)
black pepper
garlic
salt
Everything goes in the food processor and is mixed until it becomes a fine paste. On the photo you see as well some little breads with homemade yeast. Making bread is also a passion for me and I will share some of my recipes with you soon.
Yammm, mmm.. love it!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post. Let me know in the comments below if you decided to give it a try and if you like how it tastes.
See you soon again :)