It’s a beet, minus the root.
Which doesn’t make sense. Except it does. Because it’s chard, one of a growing number of common, yet often overlooked greens lurking at your grocer.
Chard — sometimes called Swiss chard or rainbow chard (when it sports brightly colored stalks) — really is a relative of the beet. But unlike traditional beets — which put their energy into producing finger-staining roots — chard instead produces big, tender leaves and crunchy stalks.
Chard has been around for thousands of years and likely originated in the Mediterranean, where it was in heavy culinary rotation until spinach came along.
The taste depends on which part you eat, though not so much on which color. The large, firm leaves are mild, sweet, earthy and just slightly bitter; on the whole, it’s a bit milder than spinach. The stalks — which can be white, yellow, red, purple, pink, striped, and so on — resemble flat celery with a sweet taste slightly reminiscent of beets.
Why is it sometimes called Swiss chard? No one knows. But we do know it has nothing to do with Switzerland.
When shopping for chard, look for bright, firm leaves and stalks. Wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, it will keep for two to four days.
How do you use it? The simple explanation is to use the leaves as you would spinach, and use the stalks as you would asparagus. But I tend to think that oversimplifies. It also requires that you treat chard as two separate vegetables — the greens and the stalks.
I prefer to roughly chop the leaves and finely chop the thicker stalks; this helps the two parts cook in about the same time. And I enjoy the contrast between the more tender leaves and crunchier stalks.
Generally, any flavor that works well with spinach will partner with chard, including butter, lemon, cream, garlic, shallots and vinaigrette. In fact, if you do nothing more than briefly steam or sauté chopped chard, then toss it with any (or any combination) of those, you’ll have a great side dish.
In Spain and Portugal, for example, chard is sautéed with olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and sometimes raisins, then dressed with lemon juice.
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Rainbow Chard, Bacon and Brie Quiche
Hands on: 20 minutes Total time: 40 minutes Serves: 6
1 prepared uncooked pie crust
8 ounces bacon, cut into small chunks
1 small yellow onion, diced
6 cups chopped rainbow chard (about 1/2 bunch)
5 ounces brie, cut into small chunks
8 eggs
1/3 cup milk or fat-free half-and-half
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Unroll the pie crust and set into a pie pan, crimping and trimming as needed to form an even edge. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine bacon, onion and chard. Cook until the chard has wilted and released water, about 6 minutes.
Let the bacon mixture cool slightly, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the crust, arranging it in an even layer. Scatter the brie evenly over it.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, thyme, salt and pepper.
Pour the egg mixture into the tart shell. Bake for 25 minutes, or until puffed and set at the center and lightly browned at the edges. If the crust browns too quickly, use strips of foil to cover the edges.
Per serving: 530 calories (percent of calories from fat, 68), 22 grams carbohydrates, 20 grams protein, 1 gram fiber, 39 grams fat (16 grams saturated), 345 milligrams cholesterol, 930 milligrams sodium.
