Swiss chard is one of my favorite garden crops, it is easy to grow, doesn't take up much space on the roof, forgives inevitable periods of drought when I (again) forget to water my plants, but most importantly, it is incredibly versatile in the kitchen. Much like spinach, I use the young leaves as a colorful and healthy addition to my salads. This relative of the beet is a superb source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as magnesium, potassium, and iron. When the leaves grow bigger they develop a beautiful tartness that can be used in casseroles, stir-fries or dips.

Swiss Chard, Tahini and Spirulina Dip

So when I found myself with a whole row of fully grown ruby Swiss chard, I decided to batch-cook a fantastic Swiss chard, tahini and Spirulina dip. The ruby Swiss chard has slightly stronger flavors than its relatives, which create the center of this vegan dip. The tahini and Spirulina round off the aroma, making the dip the perfect companion for roasted meat and vegetables, sandwiches and raw vegetable sticks.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 bunches (1½ pounds) ruby Swiss chard

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, extra for cooking

• 5 garlic cloves

• 1/2 cup tahini

• 1/3 cup lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon fresh Spirulina

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1. Remove stems from Swiss Chard. Keeping them separate, finely chop the stems and tear leaves into small pieces.

2. Heat some oil in a large pan or pot to medium-low heat. Add stems and cook until tender. Stir often and add water when they start to brown.

3. Add finely chopped garlic and cook until fragrant for about a minute.

4. Add chard leaves to the pan, cook and stir until all leaves are wilted and tender. This can take 10-15 minutes. Let cool.

5. Place Swiss chard mix, tahini, oil, lemon juice, fresh Spirulina and coriander seeds in a blender and process until only speckles of chard remain. Add more oil if necessary and season with salt.