Mark Diacono
LATIN NAME
Beta vulgaris var. flavescens
ALSO KNOWN AS
Swiss chard, rainbow chard, ruby chard
SEASONALITY
All year round
MORE RECIPES
Spear-leaved orache bhajis; Chanterelle and chard bruschetta; Mozzarella with nettles and lentils; Swede with orecchiette; Cockle and chard rarebit; Paella; Velvet crab curry; Sea beet and smoked pollack pasties
However unlikely it may seem, chard is the sister of beetroot. But where beetroot has been selected for the plumpness of its base, chard is all about the top above ground. While beetroot’s leaves are delicious, they are relatively small. Chard leaves are much more generous and substantial.
Both Swiss chard, with its broad white ribs, and ruby or rainbow chards (with more slender, coloured stems) can be picked early and small and the leaves (ribs and all) will be tender and sweet enough to pair with lettuce in a leafy salad. Mature leaves can handle cooking and full flavours.
The larger leaves can be shredded finely, crosswise, then stir-fried, sweated or steamed as a simple side dish, but their differing densities mean the central rib and the fleshy leaf are often cooked separately. Strip the leaves from the stalks, slicing both, then sweat the stalks in butter for 5–10 minutes before adding the leaves, which will wilt down quickly. You then have the basis for a fabulous tart – try it with a lively hard cheese or a mild ricotta in the creamy egg filling. Or turn it into a great gratin – just add cream, cooked root veg if you fancy, garlic and chopped thyme, top with breadcrumbs and a little cheese and grill under a high heat until golden. Or make a chardy variation on the traditional cauliflower cheese.
Chard’s affinity with potatoes, chickpeas and spices makes it a fabulous ingredient in a veg curry too. Just cook the stalks with the spuds and add the leaves at the end.
There’s also a lot of fun to be had in treating the rib and leaf as stand-alone veg in different dishes. The stalks, for example, can be cut into thin batons and simmered in a 4:1 mix of white wine vinegar and caster sugar, with a few pinches of salt, coriander seed, fennel seed, peppercorns and a bay leaf or two, for 10 minutes, to make a delicious quick pickle. It’s ready to serve the next day with anything roasted – meat, fish or veg – and will keep in the fridge for a fortnight.
Although fairly widely available in the shops these days, chard is a rewarding thing to grow yourself. Easy, reliable and productive, successive sowing means you can grow it all year round: plant a mix of Swiss and rainbow chard for colour, and once established either pick small leaves or (when larger) cut them 5cm or so above the ground and they’ll repeatedly grow back to be harvested again.
CHARD AND NEW POTATOES WITH PAPRIKA AND FENNEL
This is equally good as part of a tapas-style spread or as an accompaniment to chicken, fish or roast pork. You can use shredded sea beet leaves here too (but not the stalks). Serves 4
250g chard
500g cooked new potatoes
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus a little of the juice
A sprig of thyme
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp hot smoked paprika
2 tsp sweet paprika (ideally unsmoked)
Sea salt and black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil, to finish
Separate the chard leaves from the stalks. Slice the stalks fairly finely and roughly shred the leaves, keeping them apart. Cut the cooked potatoes into large cubes.
Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the sliced chard stalks, fennel seeds, lemon zest and thyme sprig. Sweat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and both paprikas. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, then add the cooked potatoes and toss well. Add the chard leaves with 2–3 tbsp water and season well with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, or until the chard is nice and tender.
Squeeze over a little lemon juice, add a generous trickle of extra virgin olive oil and serve straight away.