Friday, June 29, 2007

Salad days



If we ate them three times a day, I doubt we'd make a dent in the salad offerings around here. I dream of these days in winter.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, I know what you mean. I'm alomst sick of lettuce!! *gasp* This will be my first year trying to eat seasonally, and I was wondering if you do grow any greens in the winter and if so, what and how? (Not asking for much am I?!:)

Anonymous said...

Why not try cold frames? You won't have any leaf from mid-December through mid-Feruary, but at least you could have some until then, yes?

El said...

Landon and Ang, I do cold frames, and we have a greenhouse (actually a polytunnel). This will be the first winter we'll use the latter, and in its raised beds I have LOTS of to-be-eaten-in-winter goodies, including a type of perennial scallion. The problem with the simple cold frames is QUANTITY. I want lots!!

And there's a whole different set of greens that go in there, Ang: You should look into Eliot Coleman's Four Season Harvest. (That man is a demigod, veg-wise, in my book.) Mache. Claytonia. Escarole....

meresy_g said...

I love that speckled lettuce. So pretty and tasty. I wish I had all that lettuce. Something completely ate down three rows. It looks like a buzzcut. The fall crop will have to be fenced.

gtr said...

Oooh, that looks like Forrellenschulss (sp?) I love it. We call it speckled trout; does well up here in MN. I just harvested a huge head of it, but then had a bit of remorse: it was so beautiful, and our crop is limited.

We've almost hit the time of not needing to buy any greens, though, too! Horray!

El said...

M, yes, fence away!! There are all types of really inconspicuous (and chicken-proof) nettings out there now.

GTR, hey! You know, next time, don't pull the whole plant up: slice it with a knife at a point about 1-1.5" above the soil line. It should make new heads. This also helps when the lettuce starts to bolt.

And no, it's not Forellenschuss, it's Freckles Romaine. Not nearly such a storied history. But tay-steee!

cookiecrumb said...

You're saying you have too much?
I can be there in about three days.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the advice El, I'll look into the book. Thanks again!

El said...

CC, I am just sad I can't preserve it, you know? Instead I just have to watch it wither. (Actually, I do what I told GTR to do and extend the season slightly with new little lettuce nubbins.) This season doesn't last long.

Ang, you've stepped into a Brave New World.

Anonymous said...

oh,, that lettuce is so pretty!! I'm setting up a couple of row covers over my salad boxes for winter. Determined to have some fresh green food when the snow's flying.

El said...

Kelly, yes: try some mache, even though it's tiny. It actually likes the cold!