Super Greens are Super Food

Super greens and power greens.  They are all the rage with foodies and nutritionists alike right now.  Everyone is crazy for kale.  I like kale as much as the next person (I even have loads of it started right now) and I have high hopes that kale can be my next chard.

By "next chard" I mean a plant that sprouts easily, thrives in the aquaponic environment, and produces an abundance of edibles.  Since the fall, we have been enjoying an abundance of chards.  We have the traditional Fordhook chard as well as the Bright Lights colored Swiss chard.  As usual, the seed from Southern Exposure had a germination rate of almost 100%.

I admit to sprouting the chard seeds in soil and a wicking bed I rigged up, but once they hit the auqaponic systems they took off.

Chard in NFT Tubes on A-Frame

Bright Lights Chard in DWC raft

Chard in expanded clay media bed, flood and drain

While they seem to have done best in the NFT tubes, they performed well using all techniques.

I have been harvesting with a "cut and come again" strategy.  This means I don't harvest the entire plant at once.  I harvest the lower leaves and the plant continues to grow from the top.  This explains the odd growth pattern you may see in the pictures. The stem may start growing a little crazy, but the plant continues to produce new leaves and that means more for us to eat.

It means so much to eat that I have been stretching my culinary capabilities to find new uses for chard.  Chard pizza anyone?  It was actually quite tasty.  I wilted the red chard before baking it on the pizza.  Chard frittata?  It made a yummy brunch.  Of course sauted chard, boiled chard, chard wilted with bacon, chard and cornbread. Chard has made its way into just about everything but the Cheerios.  But if they keep going this strong, the Cheerios might be next.

Seriously, if you are going to the trouble to grow your own food, why not make it something that will pack a nutritional punch.  Chard has at least 13 flavonoids. One of the primary flavonoids found in chard is syringic acid. Syringic acid has recently received special attention due to its blood sugar regulating properties. It has been shown to inhibit activity of an enzyme called alpha-glucosidase. When this enzyme gets inhibited, fewer carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars and blood sugar stays steadier.  This is important to anyone that is concerned about diabetes, weight control, or eating low on the glycemic index.

Chard also is rich in betalains, just like its cousin the beet.  This phytonutrient has antiinflamatory, antioxident and detoxification properties.  Chard as a beauty product?  Sure, if we are what we eat, why not eat something rich in vitamins A and K so that healthy skin starts from the inside. Chard packs a punch of vitamin C as well.  If you are fearful of the oxalic acid found in chard, be aware that it is concentrated in the stems.  So, all you have to do is add the stems first (so they will cook longer than the leaves) as heat destroys the oxalic acid or if you are eating the chard raw, just discard the stems. 

Got any good chard recipes?  What is the super survivor in your garden right now?