(Swiss) Chard
Beta vulgaris, var. cicla
Cooks prize Swiss chard for its colorful veins and ribs. The contrast of the vibrant red, orange, yellow, and white stalks against deep dark green leaves make for a strikingly beautiful presentation. And chard not only looks fantastic but it has a mild delicate flavor that is sweeter, and more refined then other greens. Some people compare the taste of chard with that of spinach or beet greens – but we think it retains a slightly more assertive texture and smoother flavor after cooking.
Cut `n Clean Greens Chard varieties make your life easier by eliminating the drudgery of washing and cutting. With our easy bags of ready-to-use chard, cooks at home can focus on cooking while saving time normally needed for prep and cleanup.
Our chard is simple to cook, straight from the bag. Many people simply sauté chard with olive oil, sliced garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and a dash of water to help steam-cook the chard. Of course, you can also steam, microwave or even blanch them.
A mild delicate flavor
Cooking Tips
As with many cooking greens simple presentations are often best, but you might want to keep these tips in mind.
- Chard cooks quickly, so take care not to overcook them -- we like to stop the cooking process when the chard still has a slight crispness.
- Try adding some crisp pancetta into cooked chard.
- Italians love to incorporate chard into soup, or pasta dishes.
- If you prefer sweeter dishes, try adding some plumped raisins and topping it with a sprinkling of pine nuts.
- You can prepare the stalks like celery or asparagus.
- The leaves can be used raw in salads.
- Try cooking with garlic; or nutmeg and butter to enhance the chard's flavor.
It’s worth noting that although Cut `n Clean Greens removes the thick stalks during preparation and packaging, if you ever do buy chard in a bunch, the stems are not only edible but actually prized for their vibrant color by some cooks.
