I thought the day would never come when I would be raving about a variety of Swiss Chard. Because frankly, up until recently I wasn’t even a fan of chard, at least not in the kitchen. In the garden it is definitely a superstar green – easy to grow, hardy and prolific. It’s just the taste that I didn’t care for. Not surprisingly I’m not a huge fan of beets either, though I do love their relative spinach.
harvest of Verde da Taglio chard
Now, most people have one or two vegetables they can’t stand. For some it’s Brussels Sprouts (I love them). For others it’s asparagus (I can’t get enough of it). Or maybe even kale, eggplant, or cilantro (they’re all good in my book). But Verde da Taglio is a tender, mild tasting variety of chard that has both my wife and I enjoying it. I can only wish I had tried this variety sooner! I got my seed from Seeds from Italy, but this variety is also available from Baker Creek, which calls it “one of the best tasting chards.” I couldn’t agree more!
Verde da Taglio growing at Impact Community Garden
This year I am growing my chard in the greenhouse, so that’s where I have the
Verde da Taglio planted. I had an open spot in the greenhouse beds, and I know it will be safe from the hungry deer in there. But we also have it growing at the Impact Community garden, where it is planted in the open and thriving. It is a bit more compact growing there than the plants in the greenhouse, where they receive a bit lower light levels and warmer temperatures.
leaf of Verde da Taglio
The cooked leaves of the Verde da Taglio sort of remind me of spinach, though the stems taste more like chard to me. Compared to many chard varieties, it has thin and slender stems and large tender leaves. Since this is my first year growing it, I’m still learning about it as I go along. So far there has been nothing not to like though.
Verde da Taglio growing in greenhouse bed
Verde da Taglio loosely translates to ‘green cutting’, which is likely a reference to it being used for cut and come again harvesting. Like other chards, the individual leaves can be harvested or the whole plant can be cut near the soil line and allowed to regrow.
To find other great varieties, visit Suburban Tomato where Liz hosts the Saturday Spotlight series. I hope you’ve enjoyed this Saturday Spotlight, and I’ll be back soon with another variety.
To see my other Saturday Spotlights, visit the Variety Spotlights page.