I'm just back from the garden.
Here's some harvest pictures... sorry no totals. This year, I'm just going to enjoy my gardening adventure... but next year I will weigh everything and keep a tally.
Watering the garden!
Harvest 7/24
Today's Harvest!
More leaf lettuce for lunch!!! Yeah!! I decided to pick the cherry bomb peppers.. all 3! And I picked a few green beans... I had 4... but I ate one! Yummy! My very first picking of Swiss Chard...
HELP! Daphne... Granny... EG... Ribbit... Gardening Blogger Friends... please tell me how to prepare beautiful Swiss Chard!!! Do you eat it raw... or is it best to cook it.
UPDATE at 3:30 MDT: We are receiving a wonderful heavy rain this afternoon! It's been so dry the past few weeks... YEAH!!! Grow garden... GROW!!!!
WHAT a beautiful garden! Nice finding you over at Daphne's. It's great fun to see what is coming from the gardens of the world...
ReplyDeleteHi June! Thanks for stopping by! I love Daphne's blog. I learn something from each of her posts!
ReplyDeleteHi Toni - I found you through Daphne too (love this way of making links with people I would never have met otherwise). My favourite ways of cooking chard are to either steam it so that it is just wilted or to melt some butter, fry some garlic and then stir in the chard (perhaps with a little stock or water) and cook it quite briefly, so that it isn't too mushy. You can eat the young leaves raw, too. Hope you enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteWell I make it in a very traditional way. I cut out the stems, because I don't like them, but some people cut them up too but just cook them longer. Then cut the leaves in about 3/4" strips. I put olive oil into a fry pan and add garlic. Then I add some sweet chili paste (not necessary but I love the spice). Then I add just a little chicken broth or water and throw in the chard. I cook it for just a few minutes until it is well wilted. After it is cooked I put a little balsamic vinegar on top. Yummy. Sometimes I add it to Chinese style stir fries too. I don't have a recipe for those. I just throw things in. I rarely eat it raw. Usually just early in the spring in salads with the little tiny leaves.
ReplyDeleteI love that you have potatoes. I'm so wishing I planted some early ones. I'm still waiting and waiting. They just started blooming so it will be a while. It seems too hard to steal new ones from my bin. I just can't get in there.
The overview of your garden looks so pretty. I just love raised bed gardens.
Thanks Daphne & Amanda! I'll give it a try using garlic... I may even thru in some fresh zucchini! I appreciate you both sharing how you make Swiss chard!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm not on the list of people you asked about the chard, but one thing I tried last week was to stir fry some small marinated chicken strips with onions and garlic then pile the chard, chopped stems and all on top, turn the burner down on low, put the lid on and just steam it until the stems are tender. It was very tasty. I like to put pinto or northern beans in with cooked chard dishes, too.
ReplyDeleteI bet it is also good in an omelet just like wilted spinach, but I haven't tried that yet.
Hi Sande! Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteI just ate my harvest of swiss chard! It reminds me of beet greens.
Love your suggestion... I do love legumes.... and wilted swiss chard in an omelette sounds really yummy!
Come by again!!!
Oh, don't forget a family favorite, "chardzoni," made just like a regular calzone but with chard, ricotta and mozzarella, tomato sauce, garlic, etc. And for a very Sicilian prep, use just the leaves and tons of garlic, then add raisins and pine nuts. So good. Egg and crumb the stems, then fry them.
ReplyDeleteAnd some mornings I just chop the leaves into my eggs. Your peppers are lovely!
Hi Stefaneener! I love calzone! Your recipe sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI'm needing to plant more chard!!!
Can you use swiss chard like escarole? I have a delicious escarole soup recipe from my teenage years when I waitressed for at an Italian Catering company.
Oh the cherry bomb peppers look so cheery! Are they hot or sweet?
ReplyDeleteThe Swiss Chard can be used pretty much in the same way as you would cook any hardy green.
Hey Just Jenn! I hated to pick those cherry peppers because they looked so pretty... but...
ReplyDeleteI ate a small quarter-sized one the other day and though I was going to die! HOT!!!
I added them to the jar of pickled eggs in the fridge. My husband will love them!
Thanks for the tip on using Swiss Chard! I had some for lunch, pan fried with zucchini and onion... oh sooo good!
Ooo - they look lovely but I don't think I do anything too hot - yeah, I'm a wuss. I bet they look so pretty in with the eggs.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm with you Jenn! Mild salsa is about my speed!
ReplyDeleteBut my husband and son LOVE hot stuff!
My teenager was so upset that we could only get jalapeno peppers and NOT habaneros. He has dreams of making a nice hot salsa!
Girlfriend, I've never grown chard nor actually ever heard of it before last year. It's pretty, but it kind of scares me. Let me know how it tastes and I might get my brave up.
ReplyDeleteOk, here's something about chard that may be more helpful.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-19-1721-3-1X2-3,00.html
Hi Toni,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. Your gardens are so neat and tidy!
I love s chard, I am astounded by these yummy recipes other blogger have posted here.I usually just steam it and eat it...I am lazy.
I love your comments about the hot pepppers, funny stuff.
Rosey
HI Tony, nice to meet you! Thanks for your visit and comment :) Your veg garden is so pretty and orderly! Do you have deer problems? I grew swiss chard like year for those beautiful stems and when they got big enough to harvest, deer came and stripped every single leaf! This year my veg garden is pretty sparse..just pole beans, some cherry tomatoes, hot peppers and herbs...it's so cool you're growing potatoes! Enjoy your harvest :)
ReplyDeleteLynn