Come see what's still happening at the farm
Last October, I showed you pictures of lovely autumn-blooming crocus called colchicum that were in their first season at the farm. Well, I am so happy that the plants are flourishing and have multiplied in numbers since last fall, adding that springlike color to the garden beds. Also, in the vegetable garden, I'm still enjoying the hardier selections, and I simply adore Swiss chard. Right now, the chard is extremely vibrant and so wonderful to eat. Please have a look at these photos.
Swiss chard, often just called chard, is a member of the beet family. However, rather than producing a bulbous root as beets do, Swiss chard sends up large leaves and fleshy stalks, both of which are edible and delicious. And what you get with chard is actually two vegetables in one, because the two parts can be cooked separately, each in numerous ways. The leaves taste like strong spinach, and can be prepared like any other hearty green. The celerylike stalks have a mild flavor and a slight crunch, and can be steamed, sauteed, or added to stir-fries. Of course, you can enjoy the healthy goodness of both by cooking them together. Swiss chard is loaded with vitamins A and C, and it's a very good source of calcium and potassium.
Chard is also a hardy and attractive plant in the vegetable garden. The seeds can be sown directly into the soil, and the plants continue producing new stalks right through the summer, into autumn. You can grow green chard or ruby chard, which has deep red stalks. There's even a multicolored chard with stems of gold, pink, orange, purple, red, and white. Oh, and how about that name? How the Swiss got involved is somewhat of a mystery, because Swiss chard is native to the Mediterranean.
Here is a good recipe from Everyday Food for Sauteed Swiss Chard.
Source for chard: Johnny's Selected Seeds
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
I love chard, but cannot seem to get it to be as prolific as the of our garden, is there a secret?
Gabrielle
Posted by: Gabrielle Krake | October 5th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Oh my! What beauty! And how ironic...I just snapped similar photos to post in the next few days. (But they were not my bulbs!)
)
Posted by: Isle Dance | October 5th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Dear Martha,
How are you? I want to thank you to share us this nice photos, I like your farm so much and this photos inspire me to make some changes in my small garden.
(my 3 years old son say Hi to you)
please keep showing this nice detail of your personal life and moment.
Nada
Posted by: Pinkish Nona | October 5th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
yes Martha! chard, spinach, cabbage.. and big fat sexy carrots! would love to look at you digging, harvesting all your sexy fruits and sexy veggies,m m m m m m, yes sweet Martha keep doing your sexy things for the you, me, us, the world!
Posted by: Alexandre | October 5th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Hey Martha! Love your blog.I just got tagged in a blog game so I'm tagging you---check out my blog for details!
Posted by: Jenny | October 5th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Martha Your Gardens are just beautiful!I worked on my fall display this weekend and I am very Happy with it.I am looking forward to your show today.Happy Fall and Hugs,Jennifer
Posted by: Jennifer LYnn Morris | October 6th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Hello Martha,
Love the 'bees eye view' on the crocus. They look like hungry baby birds in the nest.
Have never seen the yellow chard (yes, beautiful!), will have to try growing it. I grew red chard with little to no increase. Compared to yours I must be doing something wrong!
Posted by: Tinay | October 6th, 2008 at 3:00 am
Funny this is the blog today. Yesterday, my daughter came in from the backyard with a couple of Crocus' she picked (so proudly) and I've never had them appear in the fall! Not ones I planted, that's for sure but I do have spring ones. Thanks for the pics, Joan
Posted by: Joan Bryson | October 6th, 2008 at 3:18 am
Beautiful! I would love to have a farm like yours!
Posted by: Madeline | October 6th, 2008 at 3:30 am
what a pretty vegetable!
Posted by: Tabitha (From Single to Married) | October 6th, 2008 at 4:21 am
Oh my what a beauty!!! I can't believe the closest thing I can get to a chard is at the grocery store. I sooooo love your blog! I sooo love your farm.
Posted by: Norbie K. of Las vegas | October 6th, 2008 at 4:45 am
Even your vegetable garden is full of beautiful colors!
Linda
Posted by: Linda Crispell | October 6th, 2008 at 4:50 am
Hi Martha:
I just love your farm. I think I love the farm blogs the most. I love the bees-eye view of the beautiful crocuses. They are gorgeous. The vegetable garden may be waning but the chard is simply stunning. I didn't know there were so many beautiful colored chard. I only knew of the red chard. I printed the recipe from 'Everyday Foods" for swiss chard you attached to the blog. Thanks. I hope to make it in the near future. Thank you for your lovely photos. I just love your farm and houses.
Linda
Phila., PA
Posted by: Linda | October 6th, 2008 at 4:57 am
You are so motivating with all your blogs. You have opened up so much information that really is informative and inspiring, So unselfish of you. I look forward each day to a nature or fact filled blog. Nan
Posted by: Nan Ashby | October 6th, 2008 at 5:04 am
having colchicum feels like spring in the fall, such a nice touch in the garden, m going 2 try chard, both ends in a stir fry, seems healthy and delicious, tks ms. m
Posted by: charmayne | October 6th, 2008 at 5:08 am
Ah yes, Colchicum, and thanks for the nice close-up shots! They look a little too delicate for our hot Florida sun although I did try to buy the bulbs last year. It's too late to order or plant them now so I will dream on. What I really need to do is set up a garden calendar if I am ever to remember when to buy and plant certain bulbs. I know you have a nice journal that you keep.
I may have eaten chard in stir-fry without knowing it and that's all I know about chard. Maybe I'll try cooking some if it tastes like spinach.
Wow, it's hard to believe that you have close to 450 blog posts already! I was curious so I counted them. I think the first one was of your kitchen and the different salts on the counter. Well, thanks for every single one of them anyway! Trish
Posted by: Trish | October 6th, 2008 at 5:49 am
Thanks for linking the chard recipe as it's the champion grower of my autumn garden; and I see there are about 15 pages of chard recipes on the MarthaStewart.com site (after I searched "chard recipe". thanks! Tom
Posted by: Tom at TallCloverFarm | October 6th, 2008 at 5:59 am
Happy Monday, Martha!
The fall crocus' are wonderful companion plants with your variegated hostas! They're (the hostas) still going strong, aren't they?!! - no browning out, as the season wanes away... The chards are so colorful - they're not only physical food but a feast for the eyes as well!
I LOVE hostas, Martha! I have about 7-10 different varieties, and would you believe that several have output fresh bloom stalks in the last week or so - this late in the season?!! I have them labeled (like a good girl!) with the large zinc plant markers and enjoy them so!
We had perfect weather this weekend just south of you in Maryland...I trust you did too. I'm finding that I now have to get my laundry out on the clothesline sooner in the day, as with our somewhat coolish temperatures now, the clothes aren't drying fully since the sun is losing some of its power.
I love fall, and I h-a-t-e the heat and humidity of summer, but seemingly I'm never ready to let summer go. (But) as mother nature has her way, I usually begin to ease into the new season and don't even realize that I left summer behind.
(Big sigh!)
=^..^=
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | October 6th, 2008 at 6:07 am
Hi Martha- Your chard is beautiful. Ours has kept reseeding itself in our garden so besides the small patch have it scattered about. It has been our green vegetable throughout the summer. Our tomatoes and cucumbers are still holding out.
Thanks for your blog it is fun to visit.
Posted by: Jen | October 6th, 2008 at 6:17 am
I love fall and your garden is beautiful. I love the pictures of your horses in the previous post.
Posted by: Judy | October 6th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Hi Martha, I absolutely adore all of these photos of your wonderful farm! It's like Shangri-la, Utopia and Eden all rolled into one! Your fantastic farm crew's certainly keep everything looking fabulous! I await each new blog with joy and anticipation to see what wonderful things you will be sharing with us. Thank you so very much for sharing and inspiring us to try new things. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | October 6th, 2008 at 7:28 am
I love Chard!!! YUMMY and so good for me too! Your gardens are fabulous! We bought a 100 year old home and are working on the inside at the moment so the outside looks a tad neglected. I love looking at your gardens.
Posted by: Tiff@Three Peas | October 6th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Love the bee's eye views.
Posted by: Margie | October 6th, 2008 at 7:48 am
Such beautiful photos!
I was excited to find that you have a blog! I will be coming back often I'm sure!
~Cerri
Posted by: Cerri | October 6th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Wow that swiss chard sure looks delish.
Thanks for sharing your recipe! I always have wilted my swiss chard with olive oil, garlic, and sea salt- would love to learn a new recipe.
Posted by: Dr. Nicole Sundene | October 6th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I look forward to more Fall pictures from around your farm.. I like to decorate for fall inside as well as outside and hope to get a glimpse at your fall decorating in your home and porch areas!
Loved the spider wreath today on the show also!
Posted by: Janette Carlton | October 6th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Colchicum, so that's what they're called. They always make me think of happy hands reaching heavenward.
Ms Stewart, your blog's such a great place to "get away from it all" when I'm craving some beauty and nature. Thanks!
Posted by: Jannie | October 6th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Beautiful, beautiful. This is the first time I have grown chard. I have enjoyed the chard this year. Both the leaves and the stalks. I have used them in my salads. I love looking at your pictures, thanks for sharing. Isn't autumn breath taking?
Posted by: Glenda Staples | October 6th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I have always wanted to try swiss chard. I just never bothered to try it out. I will definitely have to pick some up next time I'm shopping.
Posted by: Linda Lum DeBono | October 6th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I'd like to have some chard recipes, too. It's seems to be such a healthy food.
Posted by: Joe | October 6th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Wow! Your gardens are awesome! Beautiful!
Posted by: David Flash | October 6th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
As always......great pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Carolyn | October 7th, 2008 at 12:36 am
Last year in a handout from Macys(Introducing your products)there was a picture of a lovely little pink flower in a kind of bark vase. I wonder what that was. It looked like some kind of Ladyslipper.Could you tell me what that was?
Posted by: Victoria Morris | October 7th, 2008 at 5:27 am
Martha,
My sister and I cannot figure out how you find the time to accomplish all that you do--we think you are quite unique. Thanks for all the inspiration.
Adele
Posted by: Adele Tomczak | October 7th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Martha...seeing how the colchicum look in amongst your ferns now inspires me to grow them amongst my own ferns. Your chard looks amazing, too!
Your lovely photos inspire us to keep growing!
Posted by: Sherey | October 8th, 2008 at 5:25 am
I remember Martha when you did a green-themed week back in 2006. I decided at that time to start going green myself by growing my own garden. I would love to see any new ideas you have for green living. My children and I came across a Body Burden Test at Sloan Barnett's blog. It helped my children understand better about the toxins we can easily eliminate in our homes.
By the way, your chard recipes are amazing!
Posted by: Melissa | October 10th, 2008 at 2:54 am
Wow! What a nice Garden.
I just love introducing people to the TickleMe Plant we are growing. It's have to believe a plant can really MOVE when You tickle it!
I found a cool kit you might like at
http;//www.ticklemeplant.com They must love you too Martha as I found a $2.00 off coupon if you use the code Martha.
Posted by: Jenny Carr | October 10th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Dear Martha,
My name is Jennifer Hill. I am from Decherd, Tennessee. I absolutly love your blogs, shows, and website. Your farm edition was the most beautiful episode I've seen. I do have a question for you though. I have been a type 1 diabetic for 19 years and I am now 30. What would be some recipes that would be somewhat easy, delicious, and healthy? We love you!!!
Posted by: Jennifer Hill | October 13th, 2008 at 5:52 am