We've Moved
Growing Swiss Chard
As the early growing season is coming to a close, I'll soon be pulling out some of my spring crops to make room for the tomatoes, peppers and other summer favorites. The fact that my broccoli rabe has flowered is usually a good sign that it's time to start the switch over.
This spring I planted Swiss Chard for the first time. I've never even tasted it before but I've always wanted to try it. So in my usual winter seed buying frenzy I ordered some Swiss Chard to try it out. Yes, the sensible thing would have been to buy it at the market to see if I liked it first but I've never been accused of being sensible.
Before I bought the seeds, I saw a great looking recipe for pasta with Swiss Chard and bacon in an issue of Bon Appetit
Sometime in April, I sowed the seeds directly in the garden. Really nothing too special about growing Swiss Chard, just kept the seeds moist until they germinated like any other seed and then watched them grow. I could have weeded more around the plants but they did fine without much effort on my part.
Well, about 2-3 months later, it's harvest time and I had better make sure that I've stocked up on bacon because this weekend the chard will be picked. Hopefully, I'll like the taste of it and won't have grown it just for the compost pile. Wish me luck.
16 Comments:
Thanks for the tip about the leaving the center leaves. If I really like the taste, maybe I'll let it grow in it's spot all summer. I can always build more raised beds for summer stuff. :)
I like mine sauteed with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, and then served with some Parmesan on top. Mmm. I'll have to look for that Bon Apetit recipe, too :-)
I'll grow it again because we did like the one recipe but also because it's so ornamental. And tough! Neither frost nor 100 degree heat has felled it yet.
Wow, it doesn't bolt? That's good to know. Thanks!
Here's the Bon Apetit recipe for anyone interested. This picture, in glossy magazine format, was enough to get me to try chard. :)
It's good to hear that I'm not the only one gardening blind out there. :)
Yes, I like beets a lot so that sounds like good news.
Kelly,
I would eat a shoe if it was cooked with garlic and sausage. :)
My wife does a nice white bean, pasta, garlic & sausage with escarole. We'll have to try it with Chard.
Don't you just hate bunnies? :)
I've had good luck with a black mesh deer fence around my garden. It looks like bird netting so it's not an eyesore but it does the trick.