Living in the north for most of my life, I was used to a short growing season. Winter was always heavy with snow and if I wanted any herbs or vegetables through the winter I had to keep them inside until late spring. When I moved to the south, I found that the growing season was much elongated. Even some vegetables continued to flourish through the few frosts experienced in the winter months.
I started my garden early spring this past year. I experimented with quite a few vegetables, many of which I had never even eaten before. Unfortunately, little of my crop grew much; few reaching it’s full potential. Even those that grew quite well were wrecked by holes bored through the leaves by bugs.
Romaine lettuce has always been one of my favorite greens, so when I started my garden the previous year, I planted large quantities of the lettuce. The majority never even sprouted. The few that managed to do so were withered and small, never enough for even a small salad.
The bitter greens grew extremely well, during both the winter and summer months, never having issues with bugs or frosts. Though, no matter how hard I tried, I had never grown an affinity towards them.
Last summer, I planted Swiss chard. Despite the amount of destructive bugs, the chard remained untouched. It flourished, even the poor quality of the soil. I was able to make plenty of harvests just from one plant. Every harvest made delicious salads and dishes. Though, being a garlic lover, my favorite way to prepare the chard is to cook it with garlic and butter. The result is amazing. Warm, delicate leaves wrapped in butter and garlic perfect for any meal.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, pressed
A large harvest Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped
Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. When butter is fully melted, add garlic and stir until incorporated. Next, add the chard and mix until the greens until they are coated with butter.
2. Before the greens begin to wilt, add the salt and mix. Continue to stir until the greens wilt and then remove from burner and serve.
Harper Slusher is a young farmer and photographer committed to growing organically and protecting to environment.