Versatile and mild-mannered, this leafy vegetable partners well with garlic, lemon, nuts, white wine, and cheese. Sauté Swiss chard (or simply call it chard) and toss with pasta, bake in a casserole or quiche, or add to brighten up soups and stews. In any of its guises, chard offers a healthy way to warm up this season.

season:

Available most of the year, chard is best from early spring through fall.

at the market:

Look for brightly colored, crisp leaves and straight stalks.

store:

Keep chard in the crisper of your refrigerator.

wash:

Submerge in a few changes of water and drain until all traces of dirt or sand are washed away.

cook:

For a simple preparation, chop and steam leaves and/or stems in a bit of butter on the stovetop.

history:

Enjoyed for its delicate flavor for hundreds of years, chard is a biennial member of the beet family that does not grow an edible root. The Swiss in Swiss chard is a mystery!

fun fact:

You can use the colored stems of rainbow chard as a natural dye for coloring Easter eggs in pale pastels. Simply chop and boil the stems in water to cover to extract the colors, let cool, strain out the stems, and discard them. Next, add the dyed water to a deep-sided bowl. Then, just before dyeing your eggs, add 1–2 tablespoons of vinegar per cup of dye.

Rainbow Connection:

Chard is most oft en found with green leaves and white stems, but rainbow chard sports deep red, orange, yellow, and hot pink stems.

DO YOU KNOW?

• Both the leaves of chard and their crisp stalks are edible.

• The vegetable is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

• Baby chard is edible raw in salads or used as a sandwich wrap. It’s also a delicious addition to fresh juices or smoothies.