Nutritious and Colorful Vegetable Swiss Chard
Excellent Nutrients and Flavor of an Ancient Food
A tall, leafy, and very colorful vegetable, Swiss Chard originated as a seashore plant (Beta maritima) in the Mediterranean areas many centuries ago. It was valued as a nutritious food.
Swiss Chard Related to Beets and Spinach
Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris flavescens), closely related to beets and spinach, has been referred to as ‘the beetless beet’. Together with mustard greens, kale, and collard greens, Swiss Chard is frequently referred to as one of the ‘greens’. This versatile, colorful vegetable has large, fan-like leaves, and stalks of white, red or yellow. Veins in the large, crinkled (savoyed) leaves carry the colors of their stems.
Chard is not just a pretty plant. According to scientific research, it is a ‘cruciferous’ vegetable, which means that it may provide some protection against certain cancers. As others with that designation such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and turnip, to name a few, it contains the antioxidants beta carotene and sulforaphane.
Nutrients Excellent in Colorful, Leafy Vegetable
This vegetable’s nutritional value is described on the website of The George Mateljan Foundation for the World's Healthiest Foods. “If vegetables got grades for traditional nutrients alone, Swiss chard would be one of the vegetable valedictorians. The vitamin and mineral profile of this leafy green vegetable contains enough "excellents" to ensure its place at the head of the vegetable Dean's List.”
Swiss Chard has excellent concentrations of Vitamins K, A, C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and iron. It is also high in essential dietary fiber.
Preservation and Preparation of Swiss Chard
An old method of preserving the leaves was to dry them over a warm stove, store them, then rehydrate them in soups or stews. Today, they are often chopped and stored in the freezer. Fresh Swiss Chard is highly perishable, and at its best when used as soon as possible.
Compared to spinach, this vegetable has a slightly earthier flavor. Its texture is somewhat meatier. Very popular among French cooks, it can be boiled, steamed or sautéed. The crunchy stalks, which are considered to be a gourmet vegetable, are best when cooked longer than the leaves. Often the method of cooking them is likened to the method for asparagus or celery. The steamed stems retain their crispness and have a delicious flavor. The flavor of the dark red stems is stronger than that of the white or yellow stems.
Truly versatile, Swiss Chard can be enjoyed in a variety ways, not just as a side dish. The early, small leaves can be used in a salad. Other suggested dishes are quiche, soups, lasagna, and sauces. It can be used in any recipe that calls for spinach.
Nutritious Swiss Chard
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Swiss Chard Related To Spinach
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