YOU CAN'T BEAT BEET!

Want to start vege gardening this year? Consider silverbeet (AKA chard or Swiss chard). It’s easy to grow, packed with nutrition, versatile in recipes, and looks lush and beautiful.

FIRST PICK YOUR SPOT

Silverbeet likes some full sun, so choose a spot that gets some good full sun for at least part of the day. It shouldn’t be too windy, either.

PREPARE YOUR SOIL

Silverbeet can grow in a range of soils, but it does like one that is fertile and holds moisture well. Dig your soil to loosen it, and dig in some compost or fertiliser.

PLANT YOUR SEEDLINGS

It’s cheap to grow silverbeet from small seedlings. Plant the seedlings about 25 to 30 centimetres apart. Dig your holes, place the plants in the centre, and gently heap soil back in, then press down around their base.

Plant in the mornings or late in the day, as hot sun can damage seedlings. Water them well as soon as you’ve planted them.

WATER, WATCH, AND HARVEST

Water your silverbeet regularly. Once your silverbeet has grown, you can harvest it perpetually: pick a few outer leaves at a time, rather than the whole bunch. This will encourage new leaf growth and keep your silverbeet plants healthy.

Plant another crop in Autumn to have silverbeet all year round.

A NUTRITIONAL POWERHOUSE

Research in New Zealand from 2007 showed that silverbeet has a similar nutritional profile to spinach. It’s especially rich in vitamins A and C, and, unusually for a leafy green, it contains a good quantity of vitamin E. Also, 100g of raw silverbeet contains more than 10% of your recommended daily intake of copper iron, magnesium, and potassium, and more than 20% of your recommended daily intake of folate, manganese, and potassium. It’s rich in a range of phenolic compounds, which have varying roles in your body. If you want to make the most of this, grow and eat different coloured beets – which will give you more variety in the nutrients provided.

More info

www.freshvegetables.co.nz/assets/ Members-pdfs/Spinach-silver-beetegg-plant-Report-1928.pdf.

TIPS

Try different cultivars, such as rainbow chard, for a colourful plate. Chard grows successfully in a good-sized container – just remember to add drainage and water often.

SILVERBEET PARCELS

SERVES 4

8 large silverbeet leaves (or 12 slightly smaller)

1 tsp olive oil 3 tbsp low-salt tomato paste

1 tsp salt-free herb or spice mix (choose a favourite)

¼ cup breadcrumbs

225g kūmara, peeled, and chopped into 1cm cubes (this is about 1 medium-large kūmara)

1 large onion, or 2 small onions, peeled and finely chopped or grated

Pre-heat oven to 180°C.

To make filling

Remove spines from silverbeet leaves. Finely chop the spines. Gently heat the olive oil in a wide pan with a lid. Add the chopped kūmara, onion, and silverbeet spines, and cook on a slow heat, with the lid on, until kūmara is soft. Open and stir occasionally. Add the tomato paste and herb or spice mix, and stir well till heated through.

To make rolls

Cut each silverbeet leaf vertically down the centre. Bring some water to boil in a large pot. Dunk each silverbeet leaf piece in for about 10 seconds to soften, then remove and drain. Have a wide oven pan ready. When the silverbeet leaves have cooled, add about 1 tablespoon of the filling to each, and roll up in a parcel. Place parcels in the oven pan. Once all rolls are made, add some boiled water to the remaining filling mix so that it becomes just runny enough to be pourable. Pour it over the rolls. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top. Cover and bake for 25–30 minutes or until done.

NUTRITION PER SERVE: ENERGY 667kJ (159kcal) | PROTEIN 6.9g | FAT 2.1g (SAT FAT 0.3g) | CARBOHYDRATE 23.6g (SUGAR 10.5g) | SODIUM 413mg