Chard (or Swiss Chard), Beta vulgaris var. cicla, also known as silverbeet or perpetual spinach is a leaf vegetable, and is one of the cultivated descendents of the Sea Beet, Beta vulgaris subsp. maritimis.
While used for its leaves, it is in the same species as the garden beets, which are used for their roots, including Mangelwurzel which is used for animal feed and the Sugar beet which is used to make sugar.
There are several varieties of chard available for growing, but the most common is Swiss chard. Other varieties are 'Ruby chard', 'Rainbow chard', and 'Rhubarb chard'.
Chard has shiny green ribbed leaves, with stems that range from white to yellow and red depending on the variety. It has a slightly bitter taste. The leaves are generally treated in the same way as spinach and the stems like asparagus. Fresh young chard can also be used raw in salads.
Another example of the sweet and savoury are tarts that combine silverbeet (or blettes as they are known in Provence) with currants and other sweet ingredients - sometimes with custard, sometimes finished with a lattice of pastry, sometimes with a double crust.
Silverbeet has been our most prolific crop and we are continually finding new ways to use it.
I wouldn't claim that these dishes make up a balanced meal, but it was good fun and the children scraped their platters clean of the silverbeet tart.
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