October Vegetable of the Month: Chard

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Fresh stalks of chard for sale at the Veggielution Farmstand.

Fresh stalks of chard for sale at the Veggielution Farmstand.

FUN FACTS:

  • Chard mainly comes in three varieties: Rainbow, Red, and Green (also known as Swiss)

  • Chard is actually in the Beet family

  • Other names for chard include: white beet, strawberry spinach, seakale beet, leaf beet, Sicilian beet, spinach beet, Chilian beet, Roman kale, and silverbeet

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION AND HEALTH BENEFITS:

  • Chard is chock-filled with vitamin K (which helps you maintain strong, healthy bones!), as well as vitamins A and C, iron, fiber, potassium, and magnesium

  • Chard contains 13 types of antioxidants, such as betalains that have anti-flammatory and detoxifying effects

RECIPE IDEAS:

  • TIP: cook the leaves like you would spinach and the stalks like you would asparagus

  • Simple sauteed swiss chards will be great as a side-dish for any meal

  • Make delicious a chard soup