Swiss Chard Wraps

I've been spending a lot of time in the garden lately.  I feel like as soon as I weed a patch, I blink and they all come back!  There is also plenty of pruning to be done, tomato limbs to be tied up, squash plants to be trained, and watering to do.  Gardening sure does work up a appetite, and what better way to feed it with garden-fresh produce?!

I love my garden so much I want to use everything in it all the time.  The problem is, there are only so many tomatoes and kale leaves you can eat in one day.  The huge expansion of my garden this year has forced me to become more creative in using its harvest.  Swapping swiss chard leaves for tortillas to make wraps is one of my favorite things to do!  I've tried using large lettuce leaves, kale leaves, and collard greens as wraps as well, and none of them are quite as good as swiss chard.  Lettuce is extremely thin, breaking easily and spilling your sandwich contents everywhere, and kale and collard greens are to tough and bitter when used raw.  Swiss chard is strong enough to hold sandwich fillings, while also being sweet and slightly crisp.  We have a winner!

You can stuff a chard leaf with just about anything you want.  Recently, I have been eating turkey guacamole chard wraps with garden fresh heirloom cherry tomatoes and green peppers. Turkey parsley-feta pesto wraps with roasted sweet potatoes are amazing as well!  Once you add your toppings of choice, simply fold both ends inward, then wrap it like a burrito, inserting two toothpicks to hold the leaf closed.  That's it!  Sometimes, when I'm lazy, I simply eat them like a taco.  They are delicious either way.

This is a great idea for anyone looking to lose weight, if you are gluten-free, or just crazy about vegetables like myself.  Boost the flavor and nutritional content of your lunch today with swiss chard wraps!

Turkey and Guacamole Chard Wrap

yield: 4 wraps 

4 large swiss chard leaves (any variety), rinsed and patted dry

4 slices organic turkey

4 heaping tablespoons of guacamole (mashed avocado works as well)

1 medium green pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

8 heirloom cherry tomatoes, diced

salt and pepper, to taste

spicy brown mustard (optional)

Assembly:

1.  Cut the stem of the chard leaves so they are flush with the leaf portion.  Spread a tablespoon of guacamole on each of the leaves. 

2.  Sprinkle the peppers, onions, and tomatoes evenly over each leaf.  Lay a slice of turkey on top.

3.  Fold an inch of the top and bottom of the chard leaf inwards.  Gently roll the leaf long ways until the two ends overlap.  Place a toothpick in each end to hold the wrap together. Enjoy!