Tuesday 18 August 2009

salad, lettuce, nasturtiums, rocket, spinach

Summer is, allegedly, with us. My sockless feet aren't convinced!!

Only two lettuces survived the slugs and birds, but don't they look great? They are a form of Iceberg, but can't remember which vairety. They are crisp, but not as tightly hearted. I pick just a few leaves at a time, and they carry on growing - great!


I always pick a few nasturtium leaves and flowers to add a touch of pepperiness and colour to my salad. Nature is fantastic - a forest of beautiful, glowing orange flowers, and green, lily-pad shaped leaves. The flowers have a velvety texture, which some people don't like, but as part of the salad plate, it's great. You can also eat the seed pods as they form, for a more concentrated heat.


For further colour I have some purple spinach. This shot shows the flower spikes, which are a delightful pinky, purple. You can see some of the heart shaped leaves through them. I always allow one or two of my spinach and chard plants to flower so that they provide seeds for next year's crops.


4 comments:

  1. I spent this morning making fruit crumbles - two apple & blackberry, and one plum. I still have more plums & apples than I know what to do with - maybe chutney tomorrow! I love free food :)

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  2. Remember it takes less space in the freezer if you simply cook the fruit and freeze it, then create the topping, be it crumble, pastry, meringue, whatever, later :)

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  3. oooh, the lettuce is a good idea...I always end up throwing half of those away because they go off so quick. I need a garden!!!!

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  4. You don't even need a garden - just sow a few seeds into one of the plastic trays that mushrooms, or whatever, come in from the market, with an inch or so of compost and stick it on the window sill. You'll be picking leaves in about a month :)

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