I just came inside from the garden - another glorious day outside! It may be the last day of winter, but I just planted some arugula and 'Black Seeded Simpson' lettuce seed - my earliest unprotected planting ever! I'm not sure how well they'll do with no covers, cloches or coldframes, but it will be fun to track their progress. Of course, I'll keep you updated as well! The photo is one of my spring plantings of 'Black Seeded Simpson' lettuce from 2009. It's a great cool weather crop - fast, reliable and delicious. Arugula is another lover of cool temperatures and the baby leaves are usually ready to harvest around 30 to 40 days after seeding! I guess that's why they also call it rocket - for its ability to shoot out of the ground!
Another early spring crop (that I hope to plant tomorrow!) is mache, also known as corn salad. It produces small rosettes of spoon-shaped leaves that have a mild nutty taste. When I harvest them, I pick the entire plant, using them in salads (tossed with a splash of olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt) or as a bedding for fish and chicken dishes. If you want more info on mache and its extreme cold tolerance, check out my earlier posts, which also have some photos attached.
Happy Gardening!
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