In my garden, this is the time to plant Swiss chard. It grows slowly in summer heat and gets a new lease on life in the fall, which is when I start eating it. It goes dormant for the winter, and then in spring it emerges again and gradually progresses to making enormous leaves over a foot long. These early spring leaves are very thick and meaty, and have a taste that has the umami elements of meat, but is mild and clean. These early spring leaves are the ones that I eat, in huge quantities. They are great cooked, and this is the only time of year that I love chard as a salad green. As soon as the plant starts to bolt to seed, the leaves of the elongating stalk acquire a rather dreadful dirty taste. Interestingly, the large thick leaves at the base retain their mild delicious flavor for a while, so once the central stalk starts to form, you still have a week or two to collect leaves. Then the chard season is over, and in my yard the rest is cut and goes to the goat. When the last chard plant has been cut, I know it is time to plant more for the following fall and spring. ‘
So plan ahead, plant now, and love your chard in its best season.
My urban homestead 
Posted by Azar on June 7, 2016 at 12:33 am
Thank you for the reminder, Heather! I love the early swiss chard as a salad green too.
Azar
Posted by mortaltree on June 7, 2016 at 5:34 am
Cattails! At least, I think. Another glitch picture above your post. Whatever it is, I don’t think it’s chard. Good post on that by the way (although actually the point of the post). Did you ever get the wordpress app?
Posted by wooddogs3 on June 7, 2016 at 6:26 pm
I did, but none of the glitch pictures ever show up for me. I don’t know where they’re coming from.
Posted by mortaltree on June 7, 2016 at 8:12 pm
That’s puzzling. For me, it is the picture under the post title. I just checked and it’s still there. It doesn’t seem viewing device could make that much of a difference.
It certainly isn’t a problem for me. I just figured you would like to know that random pictures from your archive are showing up. I will just disregard it if it happens from now on.
I mentioned to WordPress in some feedback I gave them this is occuring. I will let you know if I find anything out about it. Haven’t seen it on anyone else’s post but yours and mine.
Posted by wooddogs3 on June 6, 2017 at 7:48 am
Reblogged this on My urban homestead and commented:
I decided to reblog this older post because I want to say again that, although I am not crazy about Swiss chard in hot weather, the fall leaves and most particularly the wonderful meaty sweet early spring leaves are one of the most delicious greens that you will ever eat. So devote some space to it now for a big benefit later.