Description
Grown Locally by Brian & Jenny Chapman - The Country Bunch - at Bugle Ranges. They have been growing for the Organic Market since its' inception - 1982. Superb growers of so many vegetable lines for us.
Rainbow Chard has broad, wavy and wrinkled bronzed green leaves with contrasting coloured stalks. Rainbow chard's flavor profile shares the earthiness of a beet green with the salinity of spinach. The stalks are fibrous, often bitter and succulent, as they carry the bulk of the plant's water content. Both the leaves and the stalk are edible.
Chard is known to be a nutritional powerhouse vegetable packed with vitamins, nutrients and health benefits. Chard contains high levels of vitamins C, K, E, beta-carotene, calcium and the minerals manganese and zinc. As noted, it also contains betalain. Betalin pigments have repeatedly been shown to support activity within the body's detoxification process, activating and processing unwanted toxic substances. Betalians are not heat-stable, though, so longer cooking times can decrease their presence.
Most people do not associate Swiss chard varieties with Switzerland, regardless of the given name. As Chard is native to the Mediterranean region, many recipes and applications are of Mediterranean influence. Chard can be served raw or cooked. It can be sauteed, blanched, stewed, baked, even grilled. It can be added to salads, pastas, pizza, bruschetta, gratins and soups. The chard stalks are edible and add texture and flavor to the dishes they’re cooked into. Complimentary ingredient pairings include citrus, tomatoes, garlic, chickpeas, white beans, aged and melting cheeses, cream, mushrooms, bacon, fennel and herbs such as basil, tarragon and chervil.
