An A to Z guide to choosing, storing, preparing, and cooking fresh produce and recipe ingredients.
Kana OkadaChard
A member of the beet family with stellar nutritional credentials, chard (a.k.a. Swiss chard) is a Mediterranean favorite with
deep red or green leaves and an earthy, slightly bitter taste.
Season: Year-round; peaks June through August.
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How to Choose Chard
Chard is typically classified by the color of its celery-like stalks; red (ruby chard), white, green, or multicolor (rainbow chard). Look for crisp stalks and firm, crinkly green leaves without spots or holes. The smaller the leaves, the sweeter their taste. (Large leaves and stems are often chewy.) -
How to Store Chard
Refrigerate chard unwashed in the vegetable compartment for up to 3 days.
How to Prepare Chard
Small leaves can be cooked with the stalks attached. Remove the stalks from larger leaves; because they can be tough, they need a few minutes’ head start in the cooking pot. -
How to Use Chard
Stir chard into stews and soups, or blanch or saute it like spinach. The stalks can be prepared as you would asparagus. Smaller rainbow chard leaves and their (finely sliced) stalks of brilliant fuchsia, sunny yellow, pink, and white are colorful additions to a salad.
—Katrine AmesReal Simple Chard Recipes:
Find out what's in season in your area right now, then locate a farmers' market near you.
