I’m trying to learn a little Spanish to make our expeditions to Latin America more fun and in the process I learned that the Spanish word for spring, the season, is primavera which literally means “first green.” So appropriate. I had my first green salad from the garden the other day and it was so satisfying.
I went to the fridge with the intention of using up the last of the salad mix we’d purchased at the farmers market a while back (a while back) and found it was past its best-by date, to put it delicately. Fortunately, the rain that we’ve been having off and on had broken for a change and the sun was out so I went up to the garden to see if I could find something to put in a salad.
Yay! Green! This is the baby butterhead lettuce, which I like to call Baby Butthead. I had sown it rather thickly so I took the opportunity to take out a few whole plants. I want some to get big enough to make some wraps.
Black kale. This stuff looked so dark and beautiful against the…
Green Oakleaf lettuce.
There’s also red Russian kale. You may have noticed the flea beetle damage on the kales. This is nothing compared to what they do to arugula. I think they’re past the stage of being really vulnerable and a few holes don’t bother me. I just make sure to rinse well.
There was also plenty of spinach. I picked baby leaves and the larger ones from the plants I overwintered. You can see the volunteer dill that has sprung up in the spinach bed. I picked a bunch of that to mix in, too. I’ve discovered how adding a pinch of a fresh herb really brightens up a salad.
I picked and picked into the little bucket I had brought, gently snugging the leaves down as I went. When I got home I started unpacking and washing it all and discovered I’d harvested way more than I thought. I did three salad spinner loads of mixed greens and three of the spinach! So far I’ve had two, very good and fresh big salads and soba noodles with steamed spinach. I’ve got enough for at least one more big salad, several sandwich toppings and I think tonight’s dinner will be a spinach frittata. The leafy goodness is here and I’m going to chow it down every chance I get!
What’s coming out of your garden and into your salad bowl that you’re excited about this season?
Driftless Roots 
I have some of the same greens, but never much success with spinach. How do you overwinter your spinach?
I just cover it with mulch. I got the idea of trying that when I was weeding one spring and the previous year’s spinach was sprouting and growing.
Those mixed green salads are the ones I like best but I haven’t got that variety this year. When you say “volunteer” do you mean self-seeded? I’ve had some self-seeded lettuce too. Amelia
Yes, that’s a term for self-seeded. I learned it from my dad when I was little and we were walking through a field and he pointed out some “volunteer corn” and I asked him what that meant. I should let some lettuce go so I can get some seed.
Let the leafy green munchfest begin…… 🙂
And may it last for months!
Love your pics. There’s nothing like fresh picked vegetables. I have mixed lettuces growing in a container at home (I’m away atm); wish I have more room!
That’s right, you have so many containers. Too bad there’s no such thing as climbing lettuce!
There is a perennial lettuce that grows quite tall. 🙂
Pingback: First Green Spring Salad | Shady Character | WORLD ORGANIC NEWS
Lovely – the sight of so many greens is making me hungry 🙂
I suppose you’re on the downswing this time of year, aren’t you?
Beautiful looking greens! Jealous of that gorgeous spinach. I have dill popping up all over my garden too. I’ve also been harvesting chive blossoms to go with my salads.
I have chive blossoms. Never thought of it before but they’re going in tonight’s salad!