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Ramps
The wild ramp, AKA wild leek, botanical name Allium tricoccum, is a flowering perennial plant that grows in clusters. It is a member of the Allium family along with onions and leeks
Calamondin Limes
The Calamondin lime is a cross between a sour, loose skinned mandarin and a kumquat, therefore technically making it an orangequat.
Salanova® Lettuces
Salanova® lettuce is a full-sized variety developed for the baby lettuce market. Botanically these varieties are scientifically known as Lactuca sativa.
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.
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.
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.
| Georges at the Cove | San Diego CA | 858-454-4244 |
| The Joint | San Diego CA | 619-222-8272 |
| Paradise Point Resort Barefoot | San Diego CA | 858-490-6363 |
| The Smoking Goat | San Diego CA | 858-232-4220 |
| InterContinental Vistal Kitchen | San Diego CA | 619-501-9400 |
| Lodge at Torrey Pines Main | San Diego CA | 858-453-4420 |
| My Yard Live | San Marcos CA | 619-339-1686 |
| Well Fed | San Diego CA | 619-948-9983 |
| Brigantine Coronado | Coronado CA | 619-435-4166 |
| Brigantine Poway | Poway CA | 858-486-3066 |
| Pendry SD (Provisional) | San Diego CA | 619-738-7000 |
| Common Theory | San Diego CA | 858-707-7016 |
| Sheraton Carlsbad (7 Mile) | Carlsbad CA | 760-827-2400 |
| Blind Lady | San Diego CA | 619-255-2491 |
| Lodge at Torrey Pines Grill | San Diego CA | 858-453-4420 |
| The Plot | Oceanside CA | 422-266-8200 |
| The Glen at Scripps Ranch | San Diego CA | 858-444-8500 |
| Miho Gastrotruck | San Diego CA | 619-867-4295 |
| Brigantine Escondido | Escondido CA | 760-743-4718 |
| Brigantine La Mesa | La Mesa CA | 619-465-1935 |
| Bahia Resort Hotel | San Diego CA | 858-488-0551 |
| Brigantine Pt Loma | San Diego CA | 619-224-2871 |
| Shogun Sportfishing | San Diego CA | 619-226-8030 |
| You & Yours Distilling (Kitchen) | San Diego CA | 214-693-6619 |
| Nutmeg Bakery & Cafe 1 | San Diego CA | 858-405-2401 |
| Black Raill Kitchen + Bar | Carlsbad CA | 619-454-9182 |
| Shoreside Support Boat | San Diego CA | 704-277-7929 |
| Miho Gastrotruck Delivery | San Diego CA | 619-867-4295 |
| Third Corner Ocean Beach | San Diego CA | 619-223-2700 |
| Rubicon Deli India Street | San Diego CA | 619-200-4201 |
| Brigantine Del Mar | Del Mar CA | 858-481-1166 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Rainbow Swiss Chard. One
is
easiest, three is harder.Recently Shared
People have shared Rainbow Swiss Chard using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
Produce Sharing 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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Ballard Farmer's Market
Near Seattle, Washington, United StatesAbout 12 days ago, 6/28/20 Sharer's comments : Beautiful and packed with antioxidants! 
Queen Anne Farmers Market
Sweet Alyssum Farms
Near Seattle, Washington, United StatesVashon, WA About 36 days ago, 6/04/20 
Growers Market
Near Eugene, Oregon, United StatesAbout 126 days ago, 3/06/20 
Santa Monica Farmers Market
Fresno Evergreen Farms
Near Santa Monica, California, United StatesFresno, CA 1-559-385-4959 About 128 days ago, 3/04/20 Sharer's comments : Just the most amazing Swiss chard! 
Berkeley Natural Grocery Company
Near Albany, California, United StatesAbout 342 days ago, 8/03/19 
Nob Hill
Near Napa, California, United StatesAbout 343 days ago, 8/02/19 Sharer's comments : Organics 
Mollie Stone's Markets
Mollie Stone’s - Chapin Ave
Near Burlingame, California, United States1477 Chapin Ave Burlingame CA 94010 650-558-9992 About 344 days ago, 8/01/19 
Golden Gate Market
Golden Gate Market
Near Sausalito, California, United States221 2nd Street Sausalito CA 94965 415-332-3040 About 354 days ago, 7/22/19 
Rainbow Grocery Cooperative
Rainbow Grocery
Near San Francisco, California, United States1745 Folsom Street San Francisco CA 94103 415-863-0620 About 364 days ago, 7/12/19 
Sprouts Farmers Market
Near La Jolla, California, United StatesAbout 462 days ago, 4/05/19 Kroger Truce pkwy Near Nesbit, Mississippi, United States About 519 days ago, 2/07/19 |
