Swiss chard

Today's the day ........................ to recommend

Chard is such a useful vegetable to have in the garden.

We never actually plant it - it just seeds itself and it's more a case of removing the seedlings that you don't want.  It is at its best now and it will just keep growing through most of the winter.  It has large, fleshy but tender leaves and thick, crisp stalks. Although they're unrelated, chard is similar to spinach, but with a slightly stronger flavour.  Different types of chard have different coloured stalks and ribs - some are white, some are a golden orange and some are red (called ruby or rhubarb chard). 

Chard can be used in an infinite variety of dishes but is often quite expensive to buy and sometimes difficult to get hold of.  It's definitely one to try in the garden next year .......................