Produce Briefs...
Wasabi
Wasabi is a perennial and a member of the Cruciferae family. It is grown mainly for its underground rhizome (tuber) which produces branch-less, edible leaves above ground. A mature wasabi root is firm, cylindrical, brown and green-skinned and tapered.
Banana Flowers
Exotic banana flowers are the red-orange to deep purple, pointed, compact heads at the tip end of a forming bunch of bananas. Each bud has large outer petals that protect groups of small white flowers
Seasons/Availability
Rainbow Swiss chard is available year round.
Current Facts
Rainbow Swiss chard, also known a 5-color Silverbeet and Bright Lights, botanical name Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla var. Flavescens, is a heritage leafy green often referred to as leaf beet. Chard is distinguished from beets by its lack of enlarged fleshy underground beet. A shared characteristic of both beets and Rainbow Swiss chard is a visible one. They both contain the compound, betalain. Betalains are nitrogen-containing water-soluble compounds that are found only in a limited number of plant lineages. To the naked eye they are simply pigments of red and yellow hues. But in nature, these betalains act as a source of survival, protecting the plant from UV rays while also attracting insects and bees for pollination.
Description/Taste
Rainbow Swiss chard is distinguished by its bouquet of wrinkled, slightly savoyed rich green and bronze leaves and bright colored stems. The leaves grow upright and tall from a dense rosette of ribbed stems in a myriad of colors including gold, pink, orange, purple, red, and white with bright and pastel variations. Rainbow Swiss chard is not unique from other chards in its subtle earthy flavors along with slight notes of tang, due to its betalain pigment content. The leaves are succulent and tender when young, the stems, fibrous and sometimes bitter and inedible.
Nutritional Value
Chard is known to be a nutritional powerhouse vegetable packed with vitamins, nutrients and health benefits. Rainbow Swiss chard contains high levels of vitamins C, K, E, beta-carotene and the minerals manganese and zinc. As noted, it also contains betalain. Betalin pigments have repeatedly been shown to support activity within the body's detoxification process, activating and processing unwanted toxic substances. Betalians are not heat-stable, though, so longer cooking times can decrease their presence.
Applications
In the culinary world, Rainbow Swiss chard is used as a salad green and a leaf vegetable, making it a versatile ingredient in the kitchen. It can be used both raw and cooked; cooking will give the leaves a milder flavor. Chard, in general, is used as a substitute for spinach and in tandem with other hardy greens such as kale, leaf mustards and collards. Complimentary ingredients include citrus, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, olive oil, grains such as rice and barley, artichokes, beets, roasted meats and chicken, bacon, cream, cheeses such as pecorino and parmesan and herbs such as basil and arugula.
Geography/History
As its genus, Beta vulgaris, suggests, chard is, in fact, a beet that has been chosen for leaf production at the expense of root formation. All chard varieties are descendents of the sea beet (B. maritima), a wild seashore plant found growing along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Europe and North Africa. Documentation of Rainbow Swiss chard cultivation dates back to 1636 within the book "The Herball or General History of Plantes", however commercial exposure to Rainbow Swiss chard wasn't until the 19th Century. It was in that era in 1888 that Rainbow Swiss chard first appeared within the Vilmorin Seed Catalog. It is grown both ornamentally and as a food crop. Rainbow Swiss chard plants thrive in cool summer temperatures, but are tolerant of heat and humidity, thus they are adaptable and easy to grow. If you grow chard as a food crop, you will need to protect it from rabbits, deer and birds.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| La Villa | San Diego CA | 619 255 5221 |
| Sea Rocket Bistro | San Diego CA | 619-255-7049 |
| Crust Pizzeria | Carlsbad CA | 760-944-1111 |
| D Bar SoCal | San Diego CA | 619-632-7644 |
| Prepkitchen Little Italy | San Diego CA | 619-247-0394 |
| Nine - Ten | San Diego CA | 858-964-5400 |
| Table 926 | San Diego CA | 858-539-0926 |
| Third Corner Ocean Beach | San Diego CA | 619-223-2700 |
| Pete's Premade Paleo | San Dieg CA | 770-354-1150 |
| Leroy's Kitchen & Lounge | Coronado CA | 619-522-6890 |
| KI's | Encinitas CA | 760-436-5236 |
| Waters Catering | San Diego CA | 619-276-8803 ex 4 |
| Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe | Rancho Santa Fe CA | 858-759-6063 |
| LaCasse Maritime | Bothell WA | 206 545 2201 |
| The Wild Thyme Company | San Diego CA | 858-527-0226 |
| Alchemy Restaurant | San Diego CA | 619-255-0616 |
| La Costa Resort & Spa | Carlsbad CA | 760-930-7063 |
| Monello | San Diego CA | 619-501-0030 |
| Bo Beau Kitchen & Bar | San Diego CA | 619-224-2884 |
| Trattoria I Trulli | Encinitas CA | 760-943-6800 |
| The Joint | San Diego CA | 619-222-8272 |
| The Country Club Of Rancho Bernardo | San Diego CA | 858-451-9100 |
| Stingaree | San Diego CA | 619-544-0867 |
| World Famous | San Diego CA | 858-272-3100 |
| Pamplemousse Grill | Solana Beach CA | 858-792-9090 |
| The Shores | La Jolla CA | 858-459-8271 |
| Bertrand at Mr A's | San Diego CA | 619-239-1377 |
| Catamaran | San Diego CA | 858-488-1081 |
| The Bier Garden | Encinitas CA | 760-632-2437 |
| Andaz San Diego | San Diego CA | 619-814-2026 |
| Union Kitchen & Tap | Encinitas CA | 760-230-2337 |
| Entwined Bistro & Wine Bar | Escondido CA | 760-705-1556 |
| Pacifica Del Mar | Del Mar CA | 858-792-0505 |
| Amalfi Gourmet LLC | San Diego CA | 619-379-3099 |
| US Grant Hotel Main | San Diego CA | 619-232-3121 |
| Hyatt Islandia | San Diego CA | 619-224-1234 |
| Golden Door | San Marcos CA | 760-761-4142 |
| San Diego Culinary Institute Inc. | La Mesa CA | 619-644-2100 |
| Brasserie | San Diego CA | 858-450-9576 |
| Whisknladle | San Diego CA | 858-551-7575 |
| Embassy Suites Downtown | San Diego CA | 619-239-2400 ext 700 |
| Lauberge Del Mar | Del Mar CA | 858-259-1515 |
| Sbicca | Del Mar CA | 858-481-1001 |
| Paradise Point Resort Main Kitchen | San Diego CA | 858-490-6363 |
| Marine Room | San Diego CA | 858-551-4676 |
| Blind Lady | San Diego CA | 619-255-2491 |
| Brockton Villa Restaurant | San Diego CA | 858-454-7393 |
| Eat Well With Mel | Chula Vista CA | 858-210-2553 |
| Miho Gastrotruck | San Diego CA | 619-867-4295 |
| Hotel Del Coronado Banquets | Coronado CA | 619-435-6611 |
| UCSD Food & Nutrition Department Hillcrest | San Diego CA | 619-543-2764 |
| Quality Social | San Diego CA | 619-501-7675 |
| Rubicon Deli India Street | San Diego CA | 619-200-4201 |
| Avant | San Diego CA | 858-675-8505 |
| Bailiwick | San Diego CA | 619-795-3036 |
| Red Door Restaurant & Wine Bar | San Diego CA | 619-295-6000 |
| La Costa Glen Health Center | Carlsbad CA | 760-704-1000 |
| JRDN Restaurant | San Diego CA | 858-270-5736 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Rainbow Swiss Chard. One
is easiest, three is harder.Recently Spotted
People have spotted Rainbow Swiss Chard using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
Produce Spotting allows you to share your produce discoveries with your neighbors and the world! Is your market carrying green dragon apples? Is a chef doing things with shaved fennel that are out of this world? Pinpoint your location annonymously through the Specialty Produce App and let others know about unique flavors that are around them.
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Jungle Jim's International Market Near Summerside, Ohio, United States About 6 days ago, 6/13/13 La Mesa Farmers Market Near La Mesa, California, United States About 39 days ago, 5/10/13 Spotter's comments : Dutch Farmers is selling vivid rainbow chard at the market today. Grown in Rainbow, CA. Natrual Products Expo West Near Garden Grove, California, United States About 103 days ago, 3/08/13 Spotter's comments : Foxy Organics showing off their produce! Waitrose Leeds Near Bradford, United Kingdom About 104 days ago, 3/06/13 OB Farmers Market Near Coronado, California, United States About 111 days ago, 2/27/13 Spotter's comments : Beautiful colors! Natoora London Near Bradford, United Kingdom About 129 days ago, 2/10/13 |
