Photo and article by Donna Iverson March 1 is astrological spring. After an unseasonably warm February, and the same predicted for March, my thoughts are turning to spring greens. A recent walk through my community garden revealed some veggies still showing green leaves. Specifically, members of the Brassica or Cruciferous family have survived our mild winter. In particular, leaves of a broccoli plant and some arugula, or rocket were available for the taking. They may taste a little bitter but are also refreshing and delicious. Dandelions haven’t sprouted yet. But this spring, I plan to harvest a few young leaves and add them to my salads. Other wild spring greens that are edible and nutritious are chickweed, lambs quarters, purslane, wild garlic and mustard. These can be foraged almost anywhere, including urban areas. Usually as April approaches, I prepare my raised bed to plant lettuce. This year, I may do it in March. Fellow community gardeners always warn me that I plant too early. But so far, my lettuce sprouts have survived cold spring temperatures. And I am the first to harvest spring greens for salads. As I prefer the taste of foraged greens, I recently purchased a seed packet of Lettuce Mesclun. My thinking was this garden variety lettuce would most closely resemble its wild cousins. According to Wikipedia, mesclun is a “mix of assorted small young salad greens that originated in France.” The traditional mix includes arugula, leafy lettuces and endive, but might also include baby spinach, collards, chard, and radicchio. My packet of mesclun, which seems to be an American version, includes the following lettuces: Buttercrunch, Red Salad Bowl, Parris Island, Red Sales, and Rouge O’Hiver. These baby lettuces are described as providing a variety of shapes, textures, and colors with a mild flavor. All can be harvested in a few weeks and can be grown indoors as well. Lettuce seeds need light to sprout, so sprinkle them atop some pear pellets or potting soil and place them near a sunny window. They can be transplanted to the yard or garden very soon. As for me, I am eager to get my “hands in the dirt.” It’s been a long winter despite the mild temperatures. But that’s another story.
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