To Market, To Market

Tis the season for the return of the farmer's market here in Crystal City. Zoe and I took a walk down to see what they had to offer this Tuesday. I laid out a challenge for her: Find me a vegetable you have never eaten and we will eat it tonight. She accepted the challenge and we were off.

Here is our favorite pic from the market:

I digress. Back to the challenge. Zoe actually found two ingredients that she wanted to try and who am I to cut short the passions of a budding foodie?

We came home with swiss chard and ramps.

Here is what we made.

Finely chopped ramps (bulbs and leaves)

Chopped Chard (leaves and stalks)

Saute until soft in a cast iron skillet with little bit of butter

Salt/Pepper

Paired with some leftover smoked brisket from Mother's Day and brown rice, Zoe proclaimed our meal delicious. Challenge complete.

And now the boring facts....

• Swiss chard is high in vitamins A, K and C, with a 1175g serving containing 214%, 716%, and 53%, respectively, of the recommended daily value.
• It is also rich in minerals, dietary fiber and protein.
• Swiss chard is an excellent source of bone-building vitamin K, manganese, and magnesium; antioxidant vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E; heart-healthy potassium and dietary fiber; and energy-producing iron.
• It is a very good source of bone-healthy copper and calcium; energy-producing vitamin B2 and vitamin B6; and muscle-building protein.
• Swiss chard is a good source of energy-producing phosphorus, vitamin B1, vitamin B5, biotin, and niacin; immune supportive zinc; and heart-healthy folate.

Nutritional Value of Ramps

• Ramps are a fat free and low calorie food.
• One half cup of ramps, boiled and chopped, contains only 16 calories.
• As part of the Allium family, ramps, like leeks, onions and garlic have been shown to reduce total cholesterol and LDL or "bad" cholesterol.
• As little as two or more servings per week of Allium vegetables has also been shown to lower the risk or prostate and colon cancer. Like onions, ramps also offer some fiber.
• One half cup of ramps offers five percent or less of the daily value of manganese, iron, folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin C.