Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: More to a salad than lettuce
An article on more to salads than lettuce from the National Garden Bureau really caught my eye. As someone who brings salad to work for lunch nearly every day, I can attest to the fact that there are plenty of greens to spice up your salad and add even more nutritional value.
Arugula is a favorite of mine, it has a great bite and is easy to grow. Plant seed as soon as the soil is workable. You can harvest leaves a few at a time or cut up to a third of the plant and get more growth. It WILL bolt in hot weather. Plant again late in the season for Fall munching.
Plant a mix of greens at varying times for a continued harvest. Baby greens are delicious and offer more flavor and color too.
Cilantro isn’t just for salsa, it’s good in salads too with it’s fresh taste. Spice up your salad with edible flowers.
Cilantro flowers are also tasty. I love using nasturtium flower petals, they have a nice peppery taste.
Basil, chive, dandelion and pumpkin flowers also add wonderful flavor. Eat just the petals. Since flowers have pollen you might find yourself with an allergic reaction so remove the stamens and pistils. That will also get rid of any pests that may be hanging out there.
Asian greens are popular now too. Tatsoi is a long-time Asian staple. It forms dense rosettes of mild mustardy-flavored leaves that can be eaten raw or stir-fried.
It’s crunchy, flavorful and extremely cold-hardy. There’s a red variety too!
