Joy's Midnight Chard
Since we started Quail Seeds, we've never added a chard variety, because none was different enough from our two original selections. This one is, and I'm so happy to bring it to you. Most colored chards have green leaves with bright colors on the midrib. This one is a whole different concept. The leaves themselves are a deep, deep burgundy, with bright yellow-orange midribs. If you want to add deep color to salads or cooking; grow a striking edible landscape; or maximize anti-oxidants, this is your chard. The anthocyanins that give vegetables the dark red color also confer some extra cold-hardiness.
I once had a plant of this amazing coloration show up in a patch of Rainbow Chard. It was my favorite. But I didn't save seed in those days, and the plant died and that was that. Luckily for all of us, Joy Larkcom did do something about selecting chard in this color pattern. She selected it out of a dark red beet variety, crossed with Perpetual Spinach for tenderness.This variety is perfect for baby leaves rather than large bunches. It is not as mild in flavor or as large as green chard. The population is still somewhat variable, so you can select for your own conditions and preferences.
Joy Larkcom's books and gardens have revolutionized vegetable gardening in the English-speaking world. In the 1970's she introduced then-unknown crops like arugula, mache, endive, and Asian greens--as well as the concept of using "baby leaves"--to the British gardening public. She was an early advocate for organic methods, an early pioneer of edible landscaping, and the first garden writer to popularize winter salad crops. Her books like Creative Vegetable Gardening and Salads the Year Round have changed our grocery stores, kitchens, and gardens profoundly. I'm so happy to offer her beautiful chard.