Chard is beautiful in the garden, flavorful in the kitchen

Behind the current crispy-kale-chip fetish, I see a competitor sneaking up: chard.

You might know it as Swiss chard, but the Swiss have little to do with this ancient Mediterranean plant. Botanically, it’s a beet, but one bred for lush leaves and stems instead of big, sweet, bulbous roots. Sometimes, the leafy type is called silverbeet, on account of its broad, silvery-white stem and ribs.

Chard became a glamorous crop when varieties with brightly colored stems began turning up in gardens, not just bright red ones such as Ruby or Rhubarb but also the multicolored mixes such as Bright Lights, Rainbow and Five Color Silverbeet. But gardeners soon discovered how easy chard is to grow. Even in cool climates it can survive the winter with no protection. Leaf production might slow down or stop, but the roots are often still there in spring, only to sprout again for a quick flush of greenery before going to seed. If protected by a cold frame or unheated greenhouse, its tasty greens are even more abundant in wintertime. In our garden trials, we’ve found the variety Argentata to be the most cold-hardy.

At the same time, warm-climate gardeners find that chard will survive hot summers as well – maybe not in perfect condition. The roots persist and send up fresh foliage with the coming of crisp fall days. And it will not go to seed in summer the way lettuce or spinach will. Nor does it wilt as easily as spinach in hot, dry weather.

None of this would matter if chard weren’t delicious. Its mild flavor is never bitter, but the taste is distinctive enough to flavor a soup, quiche or gratin. The type of chard you grow, and how you grow it, will influence its utility in the kitchen.

First of all, the stem and the leaf can almost be considered two separate vegetables, the stem being very firm, the leaf soft and pliable. They’re great sauteed together, but the leaves must be added later, after the stems have had time to soften. They pair beautifully in a stir-fry, too.

If the nutrient-rich leaves are the more important element for you, you might prefer a type called narrow-stemmed chard or perpetual chard. This is an Italian version, of which the most popular variety is Erbette. Try picking it either at baby leaf size, for salads, or at about 6 inches long, when it is delectable steamed and buttered.

As for stems, you can serve Fordhook Giant’s stems like asparagus.