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RE: New surprises in my garden, come have a walk with me.
A spinach related vegetable, Swiss chard is so pretty that it does quite well in flower beds. My gran used to plant it among her roses.
It's quite easy to grow and can last for a couple of years if the leaves are regularly harvested. Pulling the leaves off the stem is better for the plant than cutting them off, and it will ensure new growth.
Here is a link to a shop that sells seeds, where I got the image from .
http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/swiss-chard/swiss-chard-bright-lights-prod000947.html
How do you use it, cook it I am unsure it looks like rhubarb :)
Use it exactly like you would use normal green spinach. Both the leaves and stems are edible.
Here is a link to some great recipes and will give you abetter idea of what to use it for.
http://www.organicauthority.com/meatless-monday-chard-recipes
As far as freezing goes: I
1)Wash the leaves,
2)Remove the stems by pulling them out : Hold the stem in your left hand while sliding your right hand up the base of the leaf, stripping off the green bits. Much faster than cutting it with a knife.
3)Make sure it's nice and dry and then freeze.
If you blanch it before freezing it goes yucky when cooked, while cooking it raw from frozen holds the texture better in my opinion. Its also a great way to stockpile if you only have a couple of plants and can only gather a few leaves at a time.
Brilliant thank you, I will give it a try next year, I love spinach :)