Swiss chard — a tall, leafy green with a thick, crunchy stalk and wide, fanlike, glossy, green leaves — is a nutritional standout in the vegetable world.
Rediscovered by botanists in the 1600s in the Mediterranean, chard has been around since at least the 4th century B.C., when the Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote about it and praised its medicinal properties. Related to both beets and spinach, it is known as silverbeet, perpetual spinach, spinach beet and Roman kale in various parts of the world. Australians call it spinach.
The three most common varieties are bright lights chard, which is a rainbow of red, white, yellow, gold, violet and orange stalks; Fordhook giant chard, with white stalks, and rhubarb chard with red stalks. Depending on the variety, it can have smooth or curly leaves and colored ribs. Swiss chard grows year-round, but its peak season is summer and fall.
A single leaf of chard contains only 9 calories and a quarter pound is only 19 calories. Second only to spinach on the world’s healthiest vegetable list, chard is packed with fiber and is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods available.
When buying chard, look for crisp green leaves. Avoid ones with spots, holes and splitting, and ones turning yellow or brown. Chard will keep up to two to four days if kept moist and refrigerated. Place a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag with the chard and store it in the refrigerator. Do not rinse the leaves until use.
Swiss chard can be eaten raw or cooked by boiling, steaming, roasting or saut?ing. Small leaves can be eaten stem and all in salads or sandwiches or as a snack. Stems should be removed from large leaves as stems take longer to cook than the leaves. Add chard to smoothies, stir it into stews and soups, add it to veggie burgers, or blanch or saut? it as you would with spinach. Quick serving suggestions: Saut? Swiss chard with garlic and toss with penne pasta, olive oil and lemon juice. Saut? Swiss chard with garlic and green onions, add a dash of red pepper flakes, splashes of red-wine or raspberry vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and serve over steamed brown rice.
Chard freezes and dehydrates well. To freeze, blanch chopped leaves for three minutes, rinse under cold water to stop cooking process and drain. Squeeze lightly and place in an airtight container or freezer bag. To dehydrate, season like kale and place on dehydrator trays for three to six hours or until crisp. Swiss chard chips are fabulous.
For additional Swiss chard recipes and serving suggestions, check out Chef Scotty’s Market Fresh Recipes at ext100.wsu.edu/clark/?p=8163.
