Chard, or chard, brings all its beauty, benefits and taste just “above ground”. And what he has “underground” is not only ugly and tasteless, but also not suitable for food at all. As for the above-ground parts, a petiole and a leaf (chard) form are distinguished.
Cherry chard can be different color depending on the variety: the petioles are light green, whitish, silver, yellow, purple, pink and crimson. By the way, they eat not only the fleshy “stems” (reach 7-8 cm in width), but also the leaves.
Swiss chard is grown only for its leaves, which resemble spinach, grow back quickly after cutting, and tolerate frost easily. You can get several harvests per season.
Did you know?
Interestingly, beets were originally used for food as a leafy vegetable. vegetable plant. That is, ancient people ate “tops” and not “roots”, and they were also used to treat many diseases. Later, this beet was loved in Ancient Rome: due to the high popularity of this plant among the Romans, it began to be called “Roman cabbage”. It was a desired dish on the tables of both patricians and ordinary citizens.In terms of vitamin content, the leaves and petioles of chard are much richer than ordinary table beets. They contain a lot of vitamin K, which is necessary for normal blood clotting. If liver function is impaired or when taking medications for a long time, especially sulfonamide or salicylic drugs, this substance is extremely necessary for the body. But it should be remembered that vitamin K is destroyed during heat treatment, so it is advisable to consume chard raw.
The leaves also have blood purifying properties - this was discovered in ancient times (recipes were preserved in ancient medical treatises). Modern medicine considers chard one of the most useful species greens: eating it has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, lowers blood pressure, serves effective prevention sclerosis and atherosclerosis. In addition, chard has a positive effect on the pancreas. If you eat it regularly, insoluble salts are removed from the body, liver function improves and immunity increases. With all this, chard is a very light product: 100 g contains only 19 kcal (1.8 g of protein, 0.2 g of fat and 2.14 g of carbohydrates).
This is interesting
In ancient times, chard was used internally for treatment. infectious diseases and fever, and externally for skin diseases. In the 16th century, Paracelsus used it for blood diseases. Traditional medicine of our time recommends chard for kidney stones, anemia and obesity.We must remember that storing chard in the refrigerator for more than two days is undesirable. During the cooking process, the leaves and petioles should be separated. It is better to use the leaves raw to maximize the preservation of all vitamins. It is advisable to blanch the petioles or lightly boil them to make them softer.
This product goes to delicious soups, salads, snacks, it is added to vinaigrette, salted, pickled, frozen for the winter. The petioles are boiled as a side dish for meat, added to stews, and used as a filling in pies. Chard leaves are suitable instead of cabbage leaves for making cabbage rolls.
It’s difficult for me to choose what is more valuable in chard: nutritional qualities or decorative properties. Anyone who has grown petiole chard will understand me: sometimes the hand does not rise to cut such beauty into a salad! Bright, showy leaves look amazing in flower beds, borders, and garden beds. For example, in Germany there is a rare flower garden without chard.
Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Chard is easier to obtain than beets. The soil should be slightly acidic or neutral (this is important indicator), light in mechanical composition, well seasoned organic fertilizers. Be sure to choose varieties zoned for your zone. When growing chard for decorative purposes, you can use shaded areas, but to obtain a harvest, it is better to place this crop in a well-lit place.
It can be grown by direct sowing of seeds in the ground, or through seedlings (sowing in a greenhouse at the end of March). The leaves are used gradually throughout the summer, cutting off as they grow.
Information for those who do not want to grow chard, believing that ordinary beet leaves can be successfully used for beetroot and salads. So, leaf mass is very important for table beets. By cutting off part of the leaves, we thereby reduce the working surface of the plant and, as a result, slow down the development of root crops. To avoid this, do not injure the beets! Instead, plant chard with burgundy petioles and use its tops for your favorite dishes. Let the table beets grow quietly until autumn and please you with an excellent harvest.
Compound: carrots - 1 piece, turnip - 1 piece, chard petioles - 0.5 kg, kefir (diluted with water to taste) - 0.5 l, leaf parsley - 200 g, salt to taste.
Preparation: Wash, peel, chop the root vegetables and boil them in a small amount of water. Wash the chard, cut into pieces 1-1.5 cm long and boil for 3-5 minutes, drain the water. Cool the vegetables, mix, pour in kefir, salt and add finely chopped parsley.
Chard is also called Swiss chard; this unpretentious and extremely healthy root vegetable has won the recognition of its adherents. proper nutrition. According to its characteristics and chemical list of substances, chard can compete with spinach, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, celery and other crops of this type. That's why everything more people wondering what value they will get from systematic reception. Let's try to figure it out together.
Despite the fact that “beets” are not so popular among average families, it is necessary to consider the beneficial qualities from the very definition of a vegetable.
Chard belongs to the Amaranth family, biennial herbaceous plant considered a relative of the common beet. There are several types of chard, including chives and stem ones.
The root crop is supposedly harvested in mid-summer and this process continues until the onset of the first frost (November, December). If you cut the leaves often, then the harvest will be more extensive.
If the winter is mild, there is no need to dig the roots out of the ground. Already in the second growing season, chard will delight you with a harvest at the very beginning of spring. Stem-type beets can reach a diameter of 5 cm; the petioles are similar in taste to asparagus.
Thanks to the ingenuity of breeders, today you can find chard of different colors on the shelves, so dishes based on it turn out healthy and beautiful.
The stems are not suitable for consumption in raw form; they must be blanched, boiled or stewed in advance. Some people like to fry boiled chard in breadcrumbs on butter. The petioles are often added to vegetable stews and soups.
The second type of beet is chives. It is otherwise called Roman cabbage and consists of many leaves collected in a rosette. The relief structure looks gorgeous, considering that the leaf size can reach 40 cm. The leaves can be dark green or salad green, have red edges and stripes.
Salads, cabbage rolls and snacks are prepared on the leaves, soups and cabbage soup are cooked. Swiss chard in its petioles is not consumed fresh; it is pre-boiled, steamed or stewed. Some people pickle beets like tomatoes or cucumbers.
We’ve sorted out the features, but the main thing about chard is its chemical list of substances. After all, the benefits that can be obtained from frequent consumption depend on this. So, chard contains a lot of dietary fiber, ash, water, protein, and carbohydrates. Low fat.
Mineral compounds include manganese, zinc, potassium, iron, sodium, calcium, selenium and copper. Contains Omega acids and vitamins of different groups. Among them, it is worth highlighting vitamin PP, vitamin K, and carotene.
Chard is rich in ascorbic acid, which stimulates the immune system and protects against viruses. The product contains a lot of tocopherol, B vitamins, and retinol.
Chard is also called reverse beet due to its growth characteristics. But, despite the irony, the vegetable will only bring positive effects to a person if it is consumed correctly. It is necessary to take into account the prohibitions on intake and prepare the raw materials correctly.
Chard is not nearly as popular as its closest relative, the table beet, and this is a big omission, because it is no less rich in vitamins and minerals. Only the greens and petioles of the plant are eaten. The root, even after cooking, remains tough and tasteless. It is used only as a vitamin supplement in livestock feed.
Even experienced housewives ask a similar question, since chard, despite its outstanding nutritional qualities, is still a little-known product.
Chard is a two-year garden crop from the amaranth family. The closest relative of sugar beet, fodder beet and common beet.
There are two types:
The valuable vegetable is harvested from the end of June until the lasting frosts, which usually occur in November. The more often the leaves are cut, the more abundant the harvest will be. At mild winter, the roots do not need to be dug out of the soil. Then in the second year already in early spring The first vitamin-rich chard will appear.
Stem chard has fleshy (up to 5 cm in diameter) petioles that taste like asparagus. Breeders have developed several varieties of the plant with different colors, making dishes from it not only tasty, but also very beautiful. 
The stems are not consumed raw. Most often they are boiled, then rolled in breadcrumbs and fried in butter. They also put the petioles in vegetable stews or first courses.
Schnitt chard (Roman cabbage) is a lush rosette of leaves, smooth or with a clearly defined texture. If the stem variety has small greens, then in this case some specimens reach a length of 45 cm. The color of the leaves varies from light green to dark green, with red edges and veins.
It is recommended to eat chard chard fresh, as it contains many vitamins and valuable nutrients. If the leaves are cooked, this must be done as quickly as possible so that they do not lose their taste and shape.
For the winter, leaf and petiole chard should be frozen. This method helps to best preserve the nutritional quality of the product. In addition, the plant is pickled, salted and fermented like cabbage.
Summer residents are in no hurry to grow chard on their plots, mistakenly believing that it can be replaced with young tops of ordinary beets. However, it is not. Even if you don’t take into account the difference in taste - beet tops are bitter and not as tender as chard, beneficial features The two types of leafy greens are completely incomparable.
Let's start with vitamins. Chard contains:
Attention!
Chard is able to provide our body with a triple daily requirement of vitamin K. However, an excess in this case is no less dangerous to health than a deficiency: blood viscosity increases, and blood clots may occur. Therefore, it is not advisable to eat chard in large quantities - everything is good in moderation.
The leafy vegetable is rich in minerals; it contains almost the entire “periodic table”. Salts of iron, potassium, calcium, copper, phosphorus, manganese and sodium are known to promote the normal functioning of the main body systems and prolong youth.
In addition to the above, the following were found in chard:
With regular consumption of chard, the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases is reduced, vision improves, the body is cleansed, and bones and teeth are strengthened. This is a good prevention of diabetes, anemia and atherosclerosis. 
Chard is recommended:
Swiss chard should definitely be included in their diet for people who are trying to get rid of excess weight. Healing plant will not only help you successfully lose unnecessary pounds, but will also cleanse your body of toxins that provoke overeating and cravings for “forbidden” foods, such as fast food or sweets.
Chard contains oxalates - salts and ester compounds of oxalic acid, which interfere with the absorption of calcium and lead to the growth of kidney stones or gallbladder. Therefore, for those who already have education in these organs, it is better to refrain from using green vegetable or do it with great caution.
Attention!
Freshly squeezed chard juice is not recommended for adding to smoothies and fresh juices, as it can cause dizziness, a sharp decline blood pressure, nausea or vomiting. The reason for this is special volatile compounds that continue to be released some time after the plant has been treated. To protect yourself from unpleasant sensations, the juice is allowed to settle and only then consumed.
Here are some options for preparing this useful crop.
The stems can be pickled, similar to.
How can you easily check the sealing tightness and be sure that the preservation will not “explode” during storage? Just look at the lid. If it is slightly “pulled in”, you don’t have to worry about the quality of the workpiece.
This traditional holiday pastry is made for Easter in Italy with spinach leaves. But what stops us from using beet salad crop? It won't turn out any worse. 
Preparation
In general, there are a great many salads with this crop. These leaves will garnish any appetizer of various fresh vegetables. I’ll give you a version of a healthy green salad. 
For an omelette you need to take a lot of leaves. When cooked, they decrease significantly in volume. 
Also check out where you can also use the leaves of this crop collected from the garden.
Chard dishes are distinguished by their speed of preparation and delicate, refined taste. Those who are still unfamiliar with this variety of beets should definitely try it - there is no doubt that it will decorate the family table.
Let's eat not only tasty, but also healthy!
Like spinach, chard leaves shrink in volume when steamed or boiled, so to make 4 small to medium servings, fill a large pan to the brim with leaves.
The easiest way to prepare chard is to boil it. Wash cold water. Remove stems that are too thick, cut off other stems and fry separately. Leave small leaves whole and cut large ones into pieces. Place in a large saucepan and add enough water to just cover them. Cook over high heat, stirring, until the leaves become soft and their volume has noticeably reduced. Drain, add salt and serve. You can add a piece of butter or a little nutmeg.
Puree:
Before preparing the chard, boil the water. Steam the leaves, stirring constantly, then drain thoroughly and squeeze dry. Place in a blender, adding 10g butter and a pinch of nutmeg for every 100g leaves. Prepare the puree and add salt to taste.
Swiss chard recipes are very simple and straightforward - you can cook the leaves and stems together or separately. Select small leaves or cut into large pieces. Wipe them down if necessary. Heat the sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan and fry over high heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. For taste, add sesame seeds or finely chopped garlic.
The stems can be used like ordinary vegetables - chard and dishes made from it can be not only an excellent side dish, but also a treat in their own right. Separate them from the leaves and cut into pieces, then fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes until golden and crispy.
Look at the photos of chard dishes - they will even decorate festive table.
Chard dishes are very nutritious and satisfying. That is why it is best served with simple grilled meat or fish.
Steam the chard, stirring constantly. Dry and place in a frying pan. Add butter, half a portion of grated cheese and black pepper, fry for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the remaining cheese, salt to taste and serve.
A wonderful chard recipe for dinner - the treat should be served with head of lettuce and roasted tomatoes on a vine.
Fry whole chard stems in butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until softened. Place in the bottom of a shallow oven-safe dish.
Dilute the white sauce with milk, stir thoroughly and pour over the chard.
Top with grated cheese mixed with bread crumbs (breading). Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes until the surface is golden brown.
Garnish for meat:
This lovely side dish makes a great partner for roast lamb. If you put a soft-boiled egg on top, it can be served instead of dinner.
Sauté finely chopped shallots and garlic in oil in a large frying pan over medium heat for 3 minutes until soft and golden.
Swiss chard stems and leaves big size cut. Place half in the pan and stir until reduced in volume by half - this will take about 2 minutes. Add the remaining chard and stir again.
Pour broth on top, add chickpeas from a can without liquid and boil everything for 5 minutes.
Drain the liquid. Water olive oil, salt, pepper and serve.
Lasagne with ricotta:
Serve with garlic bread and salad.
Do not use lasagna sheets that say "no precooking" as this recipe does not contain enough liquid.
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Cook the lasagne sheets until done, drain, reserving 1 tbsp. spoon of liquid.
Steam the chard, stirring constantly, drain, add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add ricotta cheese and keep the mixture warm. Warm the tomato sauce and white sauce over the fire.
Place the lasagna in a greased square ovenproof dish in the following order: layer of dough, half of the tomato sauce, all of the chard-ricotta mixture, remainder of the tomato sauce, remaining lasagna batter, all of the white sauce. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes.
Now you know that you can cook almost any dish from chard - from a simple side dish to wonderful lasagna.
Chard– a plant with beautiful name, which is better known as “chard”.
Chard is more of a vegetable than a green (see photo). This is a wonderful decorative and medicinal plant not only will it bring a lot of benefits, but will also decorate the garden.
Swiss chard belongs to the amaranth family.
Swiss chard has several of the most famous varieties:
You can grow chard in the garden and even in the flower garden. It won't damage the plant at all. flower bed, its succulent leaves, on the contrary, will decorate the territory. The vegetable propagates by seeds, they can be planted for 3 years, after this period the seeds will not sprout. Seeds germinate at a temperature of about 5 degrees.
An important feature of leaf beet is its ability to accumulate natural nitrates in the absence of light.
In order to protect yourself, simply drain the water after washing the greens: this will remove up to 70% of nitrates.
For the winter, chard can be left to overwinter right in the garden bed, if it is well covered first. So the plant will put out leaves in early spring and will produce a harvest until flowering.
Beneficial features The beneficial properties of chard were already known to doctors. Ancient Rome
Use in cooking
In cooking, chard has found application in the preparation of a variety of salads. The pleasant taste, as well as the usefulness of the product, have made it popular in many countries. Dishes using vegetables are usually extremely simple. Young leaves and cuttings of chard are eaten. The low calorie content of the plant (only 19 kilocalories per 100 grams) allows you to prepare many healthy and dietary dishes from it.
Chard is used to prepare many national dishes. "Beta" ("red") - a traditional dish Italian cuisine - prepared from juicy leaves and petioles of chard. The name of the dish “red” refers to the bright color of the chard leaves.
It is better to consume the plant freshly cut, since storage, even in the refrigerator, does not benefit it. The French claim that chard can easily replace spinach, and its cuttings taste like asparagus.
The simplest recipe with chard offers folk cuisine. Fresh herbs must be finely chopped and mixed with green onions and season with sour cream. This salad is very healthy and low in calories, it is perfect for heavy meat dishes.
The benefits of beet foliage allow it to be used in medicinal purposes. Chard is recommended to be included in the diet of people who suffer from diabetes and obesity. It is useful to use for high blood pressure and anemia.
Chard copes well with various inflammatory processes. For these purposes, boiled leaves of the plant are applied to abscesses and burns. Scientists who conducted research on chard confirmed it medicinal properties. They found 9 active pigments in the leaves of the plant. Active substances cleanse the body and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Compress of crushed fresh leaves good for eye inflammation. Chard juice is used to remove warts, and it also removes freckles. In addition, the plant contains lutein, which helps vision and reduces the risk of developing cataracts.
Fiber and natural antioxidants in Swiss chard are effective cancer protectors. Regular consumption of vegetables will be a good prevention of cancer. Chard also helps normalize blood sugar levels due to the presence of fiber and syringic acid.
The dark green color of chard leaves indicates the presence of calcium, and this mineral, as we know, must be regularly supplied to the body for the normal condition of teeth and bones. Swiss chard - a real find for people whose bodies do not tolerate lactose. If a person is lactose intolerant, it is recommended to diversify their diet with this vegetable. One cup of Swiss chard contains 100 mg of calcium.
Beetroot can cause harm due to individual intolerance. Fresh chard can cause nausea, drowsiness, decreased blood pressure. This is due to the fact that the juice contains many volatile substances. For these reasons, it is better not to consume freshly squeezed juice: it must be drunk several hours after squeezing.
Use a large number of chard is not recommended for people who suffer from gallbladder or kidney diseases. The vegetable contains a large amount of oxalates, which crystallize in the body, which can lead to poor health and health problems.
