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Saturday 27 April 2024

Rainbow Chard, it's so colourful


"Rainbow chard (so colourful) kicks Swiss chard up a level in both looks and flavour. Those in the know are aware that "rainbow chard" isn't an actual varietal of chard, but simply a mix of white-stemmed Swiss chard, red chard, and golden chard. When those three power players come together, they pack in a lot of flavour. As a result, rainbow chard has the intense mineral edge of Swiss chard, the earthy sweetness of red chard, and the wonderfully mild nutty flavour of golden chard.

How to Buy Rainbow Chard

Look for rainbow chard with a good mix of the different colours, all of which have bright green leaves and fresh-cut stems. Avoid bunches with yellowing or wilting leaves, or browned stalks.

Big, bright, and vibrant are your keywords when choosing rainbow chard to buy. Unlike some other produce, if rainbow chard looks good, it's pretty likely to taste good.

How to Store Rainbow Chard

Store bunches of rainbow chard wrapped loosely in plastic in the fridge for a day or two. For longer or better storage, separate the leaves and stems/center ribs. Store the stems/ribs loosely wrapped in plastic. Lay the leaves on layers of paper towels, roll them up, and pop them in a plastic bag. Leaves stored this way can last up to a week.

How to Cook Rainbow Chard

Always thoroughly rinse both the leaves and the stems of chard before cooking it—they both can hold more than their fair share of grit and dirt from the field, especially from recent rains, and nothing ruins a dish of lovely greens faster than a mouthful of grit.

Rainbow chard is great to sauté or stir-fry. For the evenest cooking, remove the coloured ribs/stems from the leaves, then chop the stems and start cooking them before you add the leaves.

Sweet, tangy, and creamy things help temper the mineral edge of all chard. A bit of balsamic vinegar, a squirt of lemon juice, or a bit of crème fraîche or goat cheese are all fabulous with chard.

No matter how you cook rainbow chard, remember that it has some red chard in it and will "bleed" red when cooked, tinging adjacent foods a lovely shade of pink.

Rainbow Chard Recipes

Any recipe that calls for chard will "work" with rainbow chard. On the other hand, that whole "red chard turns things pink" thing should be kept in mind—especially in pasta dishes or recipes with cheese that may get coloured." 

Words and picture above from article here

How about trying:-
Pork medallions on a bed of chard with bacon and cider sauce - details are here
Sautéed chard with garlic - details are here

Dear reader, this blog brings a variety of articles and recipe ideas, and it is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

35 comments:

Tom said...

...I've seen it, but have never had it.

The Happy Whisk said...

Someday, I want to grow rainbow chard. That's the dream. A small and powerful garden. Happy weekend to yow and Eddie.

J.P. Alexander said...

No conocía ese tipo de acelga. Te mando un beso.

Anonymous said...

So colourful! -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com

Rose said...

I have never had it, but bet I would like it.

Angie's Recipes said...

They are pretty...but don't taste good at all.

Margaret D said...

Interesting read, I believe it's known as silverbeet in my part of the world.

Kay said...

Thank you, that looks so pretty. I've never considered trying it, but will look for it next time we go to the market.

Elephant's Child said...

Yum. I like it raw in salads too.

NatureFootstep said...

wow, a rainbow dinner :) Mmmmmm tasty!

jabblog said...

It always reminds me of rhubarb - just the colour of course.

chica said...

Lindas cores, nunca vi assim! Ótimo fds! beijos,chica

Donna said...

I must confess...I've never had it.
Happy weekend!
hugs
Donna

roentare said...

It tastes sour to me. I will try your recipe

Jeanie said...

I've never had it either, but it's so beautiful!

Norma2 said...

I haven't seen them here yet, they are very pretty from what they look like.

CJ Kennedy said...

I've never heard of this. At first, I thought it was rhubarb. 😊

This N That said...

Pretty but I’m not a fan. I’ll just look at it.

Rain said...

It's beautifully colorful! I've only seen Swiss Chard around here!

Valerie-Jael said...

The chard looks wonderful, must try it. I will twll you how I like it! Have a great weekend!

Debbie said...

i always see it at the farmers market but have never tried it!! it looks so pretty!!

My name is Erika. said...

I am going to look for rainbow chard next time I go grocery shopping. If nothing else, the color really appeals to me and I think it would be fun to look at while I eat. :) Happy weekend to you both..

Laura. M said...

Es la primera vez que la veo. Por aquí compramos la verde.
Buen fin de semana.
Un abrazo.

José Antonio Sánchez Rumí said...

Curious type of chard, I don't know them, I haven't seen them around here.
Thanks for sharing.
Best regards.

Aritha V. said...

Wow, really?

Stefania said...

Non conosco quest' tipo di bietole non le ho mai viste dalle nostre parti

Bob Bushell said...

I love chard, pink, yellow and red, yummy.

Carla from The River said...

I have never grown chard... I really should, it so good for you and I think easy to grow.
Carla

ashok said...

New to me..

Lowcarb team member said...

GOOGLE TRANSLATE

J.P. Alexander said...
No conocía ese tipo de acelga. Te mando un beso

I didn't know that kind of chard. I send you a kiss

chica said...
Lindas cores, nunca vi assim! Ótimo fds! beijos,chica

Beautiful colors, I've never seen it like this! Great fds! Kisses,Chica

Laura. M said...
Es la primera vez que la veo. Por aquí compramos la verde.
Buen fin de semana.
Un abrazo.

It's the first time I've seen her. We buy the green one around here.
Have a great weekend.
A hug.

Stefania said...
Non conosco quest' tipo di bietole non le ho mai viste dalle nostre parti

I don't know this type of chard, I've never seen it in our area

Mary Kirkland said...

I love rainbow chard. It reminds me of spinach.

Katerinas Blog said...

I have never tried.
If I find them.
I will try them after this info!
Have a good Sunday!

Shari Burke said...

Oh how we miss chard. We cannot get it in grocery stores here, except as baby chard as part of a bagged salad mix. It's not even that easy to get seeds in the shops. Back when we were gardening, we finally found some in one place. A couple years later, when we were container gardening, we had to get them online. Thankfully, it's easy to grow and I had a good sized freezer so I was able to keep a good supply. Now we don't have anywhere to grow stuff. I do prefer chard to spinach.

Conniecrafter said...

I have never tried it, always good to know how to treat new things we haven't had

Teresa said...

No las he comido nunca, por aquí no se ven mucho, seguro que me gustarían. Besos.