chard

1 beet lacking swollen root; grown as a vegetable for its edible leaves and stalks [syn: Swiss chard, spinach beet, leaf beet, chard plant, Beta vulgaris cicla]

2 long succulent whitish stalks with large green leaves [syn: Swiss chard, spinach beet, leaf beet]

English

Pronunciation

• /ʧɑ:d/ (UK)

  Rhymes with: -ɑː(r)d

Etymology

From carde.

Noun

1. Artichoke leaves and shoots, blanched to eat.
2. An edible leafy vegetable, Beta vulgaris var. cicla, with a slightly bitter taste

Translations

Middle English

Etymology

Representing colloquial pronunciation. See ch-.

Verb

chard

1. I heard.

Chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla), also known as Swiss Chard, Silverbeet, Perpetual Spinach, or Mangold, is a Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima. While used for its leaves, it is in the same species as the garden beet, which is grown primarily for its roots.

The word Swiss was used to distinguish chard from French spinach varieties by nineteenth century seed catalog publishers. The chard is very popular among Mediterranean cooks. The first varieties have been traced back to Sicily.

Chard can be harvested while the leaves are young and tender or after maturity when they are larger and have slightly tougher stems. Chard is extremely perishable.

Chard has shiny green ribbed leaves, with stems that range from white to yellow and red depending on the cultivar. It has a slightly bitter taste. Fresh young chard can be used raw in salads. Mature chard leaves and stalks are typically cooked or sauteed; the bitter flavor fades with cooking.

Cultivars of chard include green forms, such as 'Lucullus' and 'Fordhook Giant,' as well as red-ribbed forms such as 'Ruby Chard,' 'Rainbow Chard,' and 'Rhubarb Chard.'

Chard and the other beets are chenopods, a group which is either its own family Chenopodiaceae or a subfamily within the Amaranthaceae.

Cultivation

Chard will not grow in ordinary garden soil, favoring slightly alkali soils.

External links

• More about Swiss Chard from Gardeners Net
• Swiss Chard Recipes from Veg Box Recipes
• Swiss Chard Recipes from SOS CUISINE