Swiss chard

Chard goes by many names-Swiss chard, leaf beet, seakettle beet, and spinach beet to name a few. While used for its leaves, it is in the same species as the garden beet, which is grown primarily for its roots.

The word "Swiss" was used to distinguish chard from French charde or chardon by nineteenth century seed catalog publishers and the name stuck. Chard is very popular among Mediterranean cooks but the first varieties have been traced back to Sicily. In the US the leaves are valued while European cooks value the stalks to the point of discarding the leaves or feeding them to animals

It is a beautiful large-leaf vegetable with wide flat stems resembling celery. Chard has shiny green ribbed leaves, with stems that range from white to yellow and red depending on the cultivar. The ruby variety is especially attractive with its' vivid red stem with broad dark green leaves. If you like spinach, you will enjoy chard. The flavor in young chard is mild and sweet while more mature chard has a more earthy taste with slightly bitter undertones.

Chard can be harvested while the leaves are young and tender or after maturity when larger have slightly tougher stems. Chard is extremely perishable, so keep refrigerator storage time to a minimum. The leaves are generally treated in the same way as spinach and the stems like asparagus. Fresh young chard can also be used raw in salads. Store unwashed leaves in plastic bags in the crisper for 2 to 3 days. The stalks can be stored longer if separated from the leaves.