How to Buy Rainbow Chard Look for rainbow chard with a good mix of the different colors, all of which have bright green leaves and fresh-cut … Rainbow chard is the same species as swiss chard, so both names can be used for the vibrant chard varieties. Cut chard with garden scissors or serrated bread knife. 4 of 5. Larger pieces of chard can be cut and used in stir-fry dishes. How to Clean Swiss Chard. Cut chard leaf by leaf—cut the outer leaves first allowing the inner leaves to grow larger–or cut away the whole plant one inch (2.5 cm) above the soil. Chard comes in a rainbow of colors! How do you clean Swiss Chard View All Start Slideshow Photo: Randy Mayor. 3 of 5. If there are thick ribs in the leaves, cut them out. Cut any large leaves in half lengthwise. Stir in the chard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Many gardeners treat it as an annual, as the best harvest is usually the first year. Harvest Swiss chard as close to mealtime as possible for the best flavor. Swiss chard is a green that is packed full of vitamins and minerals. Prepare the garden bed by removing the weeds and then digging through plenty of compost. Once they are chopped the desired size, rinse in colander. Swiss chard, red chard, golden chard, or rainbow chard.Whatever type of chard you have on hand has bright, stiff stems and deeply grooved, bumpy leaves. Cut along the stem and discard stem. Just like silverbeet, rainbow chard is easy to grow and is a vegetable that keeps on giving because you only cut the leaves that you need, when you need them. When to Cut Swiss Chard. The rest can keep on growing for many months. Remove a leaf or two from each plant, or cut plants an inch or two above the soil for cut-and-come-again harvest. The difference in texture between the stems and leaves should reveal to even the novice cook that these two parts do not cook at the same rate and time. You can braise it, place it in raw salads, and add it to stir fries and sauces. Chard is referred to as rainbow chard when it has brightly colored stalks like pictured above. Swiss Chard is a leafy green vegetable with an elongated stalk. Avoid damaging the growing point in the center of the plant at harvest. Advertisement. Either way, the plant will keep producing new leaves. Swiss chard is a biennial, which means that it will go to seed the second year and then die. Many people prefer to cook them separately as the stems take longer to cook than the greens. April 01, 2012 Pin. How to Prepare Swiss Chard How to Prepare Swiss Chard. Harvest Swiss chard once the broad leaves at the outside of the plant are 1 to 2 feet tall and just fully expanded. It can be used to punch up a salad’s nutritional value, used as a topping on pizza or … Swiss chard, also known simply as chard, is a beet that is grown for its deep green leaves instead of its root. Cut off the chard stalks near the base of the leaves and discard. That’s why the first step in preparing kale is trimming the stems. With fall and winter approaching, the braising greens are entering their peak season. If you desire a fresh addition to a tossed salad, you can snip Swiss chard leaves when they are very small. How to Prepare and Cook Swiss Chard. Cut Rainbow Chard offers consumers the color and flavor they love and expect from chard. Stack the leaves and cut crosswise into ribbons or pieces and they’re ready to go. Cut the white stalks from the leaves and keep both separate. a lemon. Ribbons of this earthy, nutrient-packed plant are easy to handle and ideal for wilting down to a silky texture. Tougher greens like collards or kale require longer cook times to beat them into submission. You can begin harvesting your rainbow Swiss chard when the leaves reach a usable size. How to Cook Swiss Chard, Rainbow, Ruby & Gold How to Prepare Chard for Cooking. Relatively tender greens like Swiss chard or mustard greens can be cooked rapidly with a quick stir-fry or sauté (try cooking them with just a bit of slivered garlic and oil). Chard preparation is easy. What is Rainbow Chard? To chop Swiss chard, first fold each leaf in half with topside of the green folded inward. Now that your plant has overwintered, it will produce leaves for a little while, and then start a flowering stalk to form seeds, once temperatures warm in spring.