Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla
Chard is a brilliant vegetable – but it took me a bit of time to come round to it! It grows well in our Welsh climate, and is relatively pest and disease free – even slugs tend to leave it alone. It is hardy, prolific, crops for a long time, and can provide beautiful, colourful leaves in early spring when pickings can be otherwise slim.
It is a domesticated form of wild sea beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima), and has been cultivated since ancient times both for medicinal and culinary purposes. Records show it has been grown in Britain since at least 1596.
To eat, it is best treated as two vegetables – the stalks are crunchy and take slightly longer to cook than the leaves. Flavour wise, it is sweeter than kale and more ‘robust’ than spinach, with a slightly earthy flavour. It also looks amazing, adding a beautiful rainbow of colour to your plate.
Nutritionally, chard should really be considered a superfood! It is:
- low in calories and high in magnesium, iron, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K.
- high in many antioxidants, including beta carotene and flavonoids, which may help prevent health conditions such as heart disease and lung cancer.
- high in fiber, an important nutrient that can help maintain your weight, lower your risk of certain cancers, and promote heart health.
Sources
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/features/fascinating-facts-chard
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/swiss-chard
How to Eat Chard
Chard can be picked small and used as a baby leaf in salads, or left to grow larger when it is best lightly cooked before eating. Stem colour can be really varied including deep reds, orange, shocking magenta, white, and soft pinks. Barese chard is a heritage variety that grows quickly and can be harvested as a whole plant, to be used similarly to pak choi. It is really tender and delicious.
- Cook as a side vegetable: separate the stems and cut them into 1-2” pieces; shred the leaves. Saute the stems in olive olive oil for a few minutes, then add the leaves to wilt. Season. Sliced garlic and perhaps a dash of lemon juice is nice.
- Add to soups, stews and curries: just as you would spinach. I add near the end, chopped stems first so they can cook a little longer, shredded leaves just for the last few minutes.
- Stir-fry – I thought chard might be weird in a stir-fry, but it was actually delicious; the texture of the stems and sweet beetroot flavour made a really tasty contrast. For stir-fries I use a few different veg depending on what is available; smoked tofu fried so it’s crispy, and then a really simple sauce using equal parts soy sauce and maple syrup or honey,with lemon or lime juice and chilli to taste.
Recipe ideas
New potato & chard curry – Meera Sodha