Vegetable of the week: rainbow chard

Are you wondering where the warm weather has gone?  So are we!  Luckily a rainbow arrived in our Door-to-Door Organics box last week.

Red Chard growing in the garden of Slow Food Nation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have not tried rainbow chard, you really ought to give it a try.  It is actually part of the beet family without the edible bulb (put your beet greens in your NESB too!)  Chard is a plant powerhouse for a number of reasons.  It contains high amounts of vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and fiber.  We bold ‘calcium’ because we are frequently questioned about how to get calcium without eating dairy products.  We choose plant sources of calcium because they are easily digested, readily absorbed and not acid-producing which actually leaches calcium from the body.

 

Slice the chard leaves off the stems and add to salads, smoothies and green drinks.  Saute with onion, garlic, white wine and lemon juice then toss with butter beans and cooked brown rice for a perfectly balanced meal.

 

Taste the rainbow…chard!