A matter of taste : Swiss Chard

CHARD gets its 'Swiss' moniker because it's widely grown in that country. There are two main types, red and green, and the leaves can be substituted for spinach, while the stems are cooked like asparagus.

Chard is highly nutritious and contains good levels of vitamins A and C, iron, potassium and antioxidants. The Italians are particularly fond of chard and have many variations of gratin, using local cheeses or sometimes plain béchamel sauce.

SWISS CHARD GRATIN

450g Swiss chard (white part), cut into 8cm chunks; 1 litre vegetable stock; 60g fresh breadcrumbs; 1 garlic clove finely chopped; 1 tbsp fresh parsley; 25g butter; 1 small onion, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp flour; 250ml milk; 100g melting cheese

Simmer the chard in stock until tender. Whiz breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley in a processor. Separately, sauté the onions in butter until soft, add flour and cook for one minute.

Slowly add milk, stirring until sauce is smooth. Boil, reduce heat, melt in the cheese, then pour over the chard. Top with crumbs and bake in an oven preheated to 180C/gas 4 for 20 mins.