Thank you for having signed up for horticultural emails from Kitchen Garden Seeds, Van Engelen and John Scheepers.* Pictured from top to bottom: Argentata, Golden Sunrise Yellow, Magenta Sunset and Classic Rhubarb Swiss Chards.

When we sit down to dinner on a chilly, dark October evening, there are few things we’d rather see on our plates than a mound of lightly steamed Swiss Chard topped with a pat of melting butter. As our bodies and souls start to anticipate the coming winter, we gradually shift from craving glorious summer salads to longing for warm, savory comfort food. And Swiss Chard is the perfect transitional green for both our fall gardens and kitchens.

Our bodies seem to know that Swiss Chard ranks second only to Spinach on the list of the world’s healthiest vegetables. It’s packed with 13 different phytonutrients that provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and sugar-balancing benefits. Swiss Chard is an excellent source of calcium as well as Vitamin K. As delicious and satisfying as it is to eat, Swiss Chard does double-duty, fortifying us from the inside out, to help us stay healthy as the long winter approaches.

Though most of the Swiss Chard plants that were started last spring are still producing succulent leaves, we recommend seeding a second fall crop of Swiss Chard right about now. Top chefs know that when Swiss Chard leaves are no bigger than your hand, they are at their peak of color, flavor, texture and nutritional value. The seeds you plant now will germinate quickly, yielding perfect, fresh leaves in October and November. This fall, you and your family will be feasting on young, tender Swiss Chard leaves that are of a quality and freshness about which most restaurant chefs can only dream.

posting harvested from : John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds