Chard

I never really appreciated chard until I grew a beauty called Scarlett Charlotte this year, and now I'm looking for one with big yields and great taste. The locals grow a white one called Luculus, but I'm hearing good things about Fordhook White Giant. Any opinions?

(edited for really bad grammar)



This message was edited Dec 9, 2007 5:35 AM

We grow a sweet, thin stemmed Italian chard that tastes almost identical to spinach.
It's called Verde da Taglio (literally "daily greens")

https://growitalian.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi?CMD=011&PROD=1102599364

Scarlett Charlotte looks interesting. I'll have to try that one.

Interesting. I've had good experiences with Italian distributors and have been happy with the varieties I tried, so I'll work up an order. Thanks!

Sorry, I messed up the spelling with Scarlet Charlotte... Scarlett should have been Scarlet, with one "t". So far, it's only available at Renee's Garden. http://www.reneesgarden.com/seeds/packpg/veg/chard-scarlet-p.htm

Do you use these for cooking or raw in salads?

A friend prepared them by cutting out the stem and midrib (with scissors for convenience), then lightly sauteed the leaves with a little garlic. He saves the stems and midribs for soups, stir fries and things that take more cooking. They make colorful baby greens in a salad. I'm getting to like them either way.

I have a packet of Scarlet Charlotte from Renee's so am now looking forward to growing it. The other varieties I like are Bright Lights and Perpetual Spinach (also known as Green Leaf Chard Can be purchased at Hume Seeds which I like: http://humeseeds.safeshopper.com/25/159.htm?713). The Perpetual is a green one that seems to last through the frosts longer in the fall.
I have only recently discovered chard but love it. I prepare it like spinach. I saute onions first and set them aside. Then I cut the chard stems and saute them in olive oil until tender. Add the leaves and cook until tender. Add minced fresh garlic and about 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg and sea salt. Stir, add the onions again and serve. Yum!!
I also like the raw baby leaves in salad. The Italian ones sound interesting. Must investigate. Do the chards survive all year round in NC and CA?

I don't know yet, but I think they might this year... it's been very mild. The aerated compost teas I use are said to protect plants in the cold, so they might make it. I've had brussels sprouts and kale freeze solid and come out fine, so these might if I mulch them well.

Chard easily winters over here (NC)....I've harvested from some of my plants for two years. Such a great plant to grow and eat!

Bright Lights does very well as does Luculus. Sorry, I haven't grown the Forkhook White yet.

By the way, kelp is well known for helping plants thru the cold weather. Your aerated compost tea may also do the same but hope you aren't using any type of manure that may have any kind of "upsetting e coli"....you may end up liking the chard 'to no end', if you know what I mean.

shoe

No way! If manure's involved, it's well aged, but aerating the tea causes an explosion of aerobic bacteria that think of E. coli as lunch. I check it with a microscope, and when I start to see predatory protozoans and amoebas, I know it's ready to go.

Thanks for the info on overwintering. I have 3 plants that I'm trying to overwinter for seed, but now I'm tempted to overwinter a bunch next year.

Good to hear that about the aerated tea (attacking e coli). I make aerated tea, too and am happy to hear yet another of its benefits! Yay!

Shoe

Agreed. If you told me all the benefits of aerated teas 10 years ago, I would have thought you were selling snake oil!

I've heard of, (and use), compost tea and manure tea, but what the devil are areated teas?...and how do you make them?

There are lots of ways, ranging from an air stone in a gallon jug, up to huge commercial brewers. It was mostly pioneered by a microbiologist named Elaine Ingham. Here's a thread from a while back that should get you started. (you'll see how enthused I was) Be sure to check out the links. I do something like the Deuly's Brewer. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/580157/

(edited to fix one heck of a blooper)

This message was edited Dec 11, 2007 6:04 PM

I use the airstones and aquarium pump (like many others).

However, I'm considering trying a 55 gallon barrel this Spring. I emailed with a guy out West a year or so ago who made umpteen gallons of tea using a big barrel, a soaker hose, and hooking the hose up to his air compressor.

Sounds to me like a great way to make a good quantity for those of us who grow field crops.

Shoe

I spread out the washed, dried whole chard leaves on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt and bake until crispy. Yum!

Hmmm....that sounds delicious, Yankee.

Will have to try that soon. (Neighbor has NICE chard plants growing!)
Thanks
Shoe

That sounds like a great recipe, Yankee. How do you serve it? Can you crumble it up to put in a salad or do you eat it like "chips"? Jessica

Eat it like chips - the leaves get really crispy!

Wow, that does sound good! Do you turn them, and how much oil; to cover, or just a sprinkle?

Don't touch them one they are in the oven and just sprinkle with oil.

You eat the chard the way we ate seaweed in Canada! Dulse is eat like a chip - baked in the oven until crispy. I'm going to try that with the chard, since I no longer live near the land of dulse.

girlgroupgirl

I grew Bright Lights this year and have been very pleased with it. This was my first year growing this veggie and it has been a easy crop for me. It has stood up to some of the freezes we have already had. I have also been pleased with the large ruffled leaves.

We saute and eat it raw in salads. I just found a recipe where a crabmeat stuffing is wrapped in the leaves and then steamed. On my Christmas Eve menu

BB

BB - when did you plant your chard? Becky

Bright Lights is a gorgeous-looking mix

BB,
Would you give us your recipe for the stuffed crabmeat wrapped in the leaves? I just bought some today (very expensive in the store because they carry only organic) because I want try Yankee Cat's baked recipe but this sounds great too. Before all the ice came I still had some Perpetual, small but in tact. I could have picked but waited too long so now it's under 4 inches of ice! Snow I can deal with but we have never had this much ice before winter has officially started!

Becky:

I planted around late September-Early October. I made another plating in Early November. They are still going strong

Gardadore:

Here's the recipe. I haven't made it yet so I can't pass on an opinion

Ingredients:

Meat from 2 freshly cooked crabs
6 Large Swiss Chard Leaves
Pinch of Tumeric
Pich of sea of kosher salt
Freshly ground Black Pepper
I inch piece of Ginger, peeled and grated
Chopped Chives


For the Sauce
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 orange
1/2 co of fish or vegetable stock

Remove meat from crab and separate white from dark meat

Place dark meat in a food processor or blender along with the sauce ingredients and blend to make a smooth sauce

Warm Sauce gently in Pan

Blanch chard leaves one at a time in boiling water for 5-10 seconds and then immediately plunge into cold water, Let the blanched leaves dry a few minutes

Add the spices to the white crabmeat and mix gently

Gather the grated ginger in your hand and squeeze juice over crabmeat mixture

Lay the chard leaves out flat and divide the stuffing among the leaves

Sprinkle a little of the chopped chives over the stuffing and fold up the leaves

Steam the stuffed leaves for no more than 2 minutes.

Pour the sauce over them and serve with boiled rice which has had a little coconut milk added to the boiling water

From the book: Blissful Detox

BB

Thanks BB. It sounds a little more involved than I expected but canned crabmeat should do fine and make it easier. Sounds delicious. I will try it as an appetizer over the holidays! Happy Holidays to all!

Yeah we are definitely going to take some shortcuts

But it Does sound good.

Let's compare notes after the Holidays