Silverbeet

Silverbeetchange your mind about this humble vegetable
Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris cultivarSUMPTUOUS SILVERBEET SALAD
One of the easiest to grow of all the vegetables,Even my dad, who hates silverbeet, loves this salad.
Silverbeet, also known as under the names SwissIt has a real smokey flavour.
Chard and for the coloured stemmed variety1 bunch silverbeet
Rainbow Chard, gives a huge harvest in a short3 cups bean sprouts
amount of time. Two plants would be enough to3 rashers cooked bacon
feed one person with silverbeet for every meal of1/2 cup roasted cashews
the weekDRESSING
PROPAGATION1 tblspoon white vinegar
You can grow these plants directly in the ground1/2 cup oil
from seed, or you will get 6 to 8 seedlings in a1 tblspoon lemon juice
punnet for around $3.00 at your local nursery.1 clove crushed garlic
Seeds cab be sown in early spring and late summer,1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
early autumn. Put two or three seeds in the one hole1 teaspoon soy sauce
about 40cm apart and 1cm deep. Keep the seeds1teaspoon sugar
moist, but not wet. I prefer late autumn plantings, asShred silverbeet and put in bowl with chopped bacon,
I find they are less likely to bolt to seed than springbean sprouts and cashews. Mix dressing ingredients
plantings.together thoroughly and pour over salad and toss
CULTIVATIONwell.
Even though these plants will grow just aboutSILVERBEET & RICOTTA CANTALONNI
anywhere with very little input, to get the best1packet of instant cantalonni pasta
quality out of your silverbeet, grow them in soil1 tub of ricotta cheese
enriched with organic matter, such as compost or1 bunch of silverbeet
rotted manure. Keep the plants moist, but not wet.2 cups of grated cheese
They will grow in part shade as well as full sun. It4 cups of neapolitan or bolognaise tomato saucesalt
doesn't hurt to liquid feed them over the foliage withand pepper to taste
a seaweed fertiliser once a month to keep the freshShred silverbeet very finely, mix with the tub of
leaves coming on. Also, harvest the leavesricotta cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste (I
frequently, even if you aren't going to eat them. Thisalways use fresh ground black pepper and sea salt).
helps stop them running to seed. Pests to watch outStuff the ricotta mixture into the cantalonni shells.
for are slugs, snails and caterpillars.Lay stuffed cantalonni in a shallow dish. Cover with
So you haven't been a fan of silverbeet in the past?neapolitan sauce and cheese. Bake in a preheated,
Try these delicious recipies and you might justmoderate oven for 40 minutes.