Winter rainbow salad

Winter greens seem to know it’s a dull time of year, so they make up for it with sweeter flavour and the most glorious of colours. Take rainbow chard – it’s just silverbeet, but it glows with spectacular hues of red, pink and gold that spread from its roots to the veins in its leaves. It’s equally at home in an ornamental garden as it is in a vegie patch, and it’s also very easy to grow. 

Broccoli leaf, tuscan kale, broccoli florets and flowers, rainbow chard, redbor kale

The seeds (available from the Diggers Club) come encased in a cork-like substance, so soak them for a couple of hours in warm water before planting. The plant should emerge in about 10-14 days. Raise the seedlings in small pots until about 10 cms high, then plant out in a nice sunny spot into well-drained soil that’s got plenty of good stuff like compost. In a couple of months you’ll be able to start picking the leaves while they’re still relatively small and tender. Give the plant a liquid feed every few weeks and you’ll be able to harvest the plant for several months. 

Stunning baby rainbow chard - even their roots are colourful

Rainbow chard can be used in salads while young, but also steamed, sautéed with a little olive oil and garlic, stir-fried or added to casseroles or soups. Use both the stems and leaves.

Rainbow chard stems - like gems of colour

Now to the world’s prettiest salad. Honestly, it took me a while to eat because I had to pause and gaze in wonder at every forkful. All of the vegies in it were picked from the small garden bed outside my back door less than half an hour before eating – with the exception of the garlic, which came from my summer harvest. I added a little more colour and flavour with goji berries but you could use sultanas, pomegranate seeds, or nothing at all – it tastes great either way. And of course, the vegies can simply be what you have readily available, but fresh, young and tender is the key.

 

Winter rainbow salad

Dried goji berries (left) and after a quick soak (right)

Redbor Kale (aka frilly purple kale)

Tuscan Kale

Broccoli florets and leaves

Rainbow chard (aka silverbeet)

Goji berries

Olive oil

Apple cider vinegar

Garlic clove

Salt

Finely slice the greens and place in a bowl. Soak the goji berries for just 10 seconds in boiling water to hydrate, drain and add to bowl.

In a small jar, place about a tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tsps of apple cider vinegar, the crushed or chopped garlic clove, and a pinch of small. Secure the lid tightly and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds. This will make a lovely creamy dressing that will also act to tenderise the salad leaves slightly.

Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well, and serve.