My New Super Food For This Season!

Q. If Dr. Who were a vegetarian, what kind of transport would he use?

A. He would travel in a chard-is.

O.K., Leno and Letterman won't be quaking in their boots worrying about me taking their jobs anytime soon(although Jimmy Kimmel might). But you can't blame a guy for trying a less than standard intro for a brief blurb about a less than well known veggie. And it's really too bad that most people aren't familiar with Beta vulgaris because if vegetables were graded for their nutrients alone, Swiss chard would be a vegetable valedictorian. This green, leafy nutrition treasure trove contains vitamins K, A and C as well as, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. But wait, there's more. It's also a good source of copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid.

Even if you're not a Dr. Who fan, you're most certainly a fan of good health. So pick some of this up at your nearby farmer's market. Or better yet, grow your own. Like most vegetables, chard is best when it's super fresh.

Buongiorno Baracolle

Did you know that lettuce is thought to be a selected variety of Lactuca serriola, a wild lettuce found throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa? It is believed to have been first cultivated in Egypt but was also a favorite amongst the ancient Greeks.

It has taken about a month but finally the barcarolle lettuce(a variety of romaine) in my Earthbox is ready for the table. It should be great with some freshly grated Parmesan and crunchy croutons.

Happy Earth Day!

On this day and everyday try to do something nice for the Earth and rest assured, the Earth will do something nice for you.

Winter Survivor

Last autumn before the first hard frost I took a couple of healthy cuttings from my pepino melon plant. I placed the cuttings in water and waited for them to grow roots. Then I planted them in pots, placed them in a south facing window and hoped that they would somehow make it through the winter. Of the two cuttings only one survived and I've noticed that it has been sprouting new growth as the days have lengthened. So perhaps this season I'll be able to sample some of this rare fruit from my own garden.

It's All In How You Look At It

What do you see? Little green sprouts?  I see salad dressing, pesto and pizza. Of course, it helps to know that these are basil sprouts. The anticipation is almost too much to bear. I can't wait until they are ready for use.

Keeping It Green

Although it doesn't look like much now, in a few weeks this will be a tasty head of cabbage. And it will have star billing in my version of sausage and cabbage soup!

Winter Experiment

 

Oh the winter's been snowy and icy 

So gardening outside would be dicey 

But inside no cold winds blow 

So let things grow, let things grow, let things grow. 

(With apologies to Sammy Cahn)

Just a little experiment to see what I could grow in a 2 liter bottle planter during the winter months. This Valentine lettuce definitely needs more room, but it's interesting to see how far it developed.