Growing and Cooking Chard
It’s got to be Italian!
I have always grown chard in my garden, be it the Swiss, Rhubarb or Rainbow variety they are all eaually beautiful and make for a stunning centrepiece in any vegetable bed. As well as being pleasing to the eye they don’t taste bad either, they are a remarkably versatile vegetable which are as easy to grow as they are to cook.
I have in the past sown chard straight in the ground but in the light of recent bad weather I have grown them in pots for planting out when I assume the weather will be more forgiving to tender plants. I have always given them plenty of compost and water and left them to it. They need to be cut regularly and checked for signs of bolting but other than that behave themselves for a good two months or more.
A couple of plants in the back garden should give you quite a yield once established. You can eat the stem and the leaf but you should treat them seperatly during cooking. Once washed the stems can be cut into one or two inch pieces and braised in stock or slowly cooked with shallots and garlic in olive oil and a little white wine until slightly soft. The leaf should be shredded and added right at the last moment to maximize the colour and vitamin content. Season generously, use your garden herbs because they respond very well to thyme, sage and rosemary as well as stronger flavours such as capers, chillies and anchovies.
Add them to a basic tomato sauce and fold through some pasta or gnocchi for a simple vegetarian dish, try it layered in the middle of a potato and cheese gratin or in a bowl of braised lentils or as part of a thick minestrone.
Please note I didn’t use Adobe to touch up the caterpillar holes-it’s called artistic integrity!
Miles,
That’s a fabulous green, a turn of last century Majolica glaze green chard and packed with goodness.
It has occurred to me lately that next year’s crop of garden greens ought to be grown close to bird feeders to keep the pests off. Although the snail numbers always seem high, this year perhaps not quite as high since the black birds have moved in. Making sure the summer feeders were full has definitely given rise to more bird activity in my garden.
Cid
August 21, 2008 @ 9:03 am
Cid,
You still need to protect your young plants from pesky birds-blackbirds are a nightmare
Miles
August 21, 2008 @ 5:45 pm
Miles,
The lengths we go to in order to protect fruit and veg remind me of my grandparents garden… everything had either a net or strings of rattly deterrents. Personally I fancy a scarecrow…. who shall I model it on? I’m the scariest person I know so perhaps it could be a self portrait
Cid
August 21, 2008 @ 8:25 pm
Cid,
Don’t bother, I’ve some photos of my brother you can have, he’s signed them all too!
Miles
August 21, 2008 @ 8:44 pm
Miles,
Your brother, albeit in scarecrow mode, as a collectable (the signature is vital) …… I think he might go for that. After the season, we’ll sell him off to the local theatre as part of the Oz props department
Cid
August 22, 2008 @ 6:51 am
Cid,
I am sure the local luvvies would be very appreciative
Miles
August 22, 2008 @ 7:20 am