Salad leaves- yum,yum

[margotay]

Thanks for that nilling.

margo

[lzyjo]

Salad!

I agree, it's so satisfying to grow and pick lettuce. Last year all of my lettuce failed because I tried to direct seed it in the garden. So, I was really impressed this Spring when the lettuce was the first thing I got to pick and eat from the garden. OMG! It's exciting just thinking about it!

[middlefield]

Salad leaves are one of our staples, we eat salad every day and have been eating our own grown for about 6 weeks now.

We wash thoroughly and then leave to drain in a colander and then store in an airtight container in the fridge, we've stored for about 2 weeks without any loss of taste or crispiness.

We've estimated that we've had the equivalent of 20 of the supermarket bags so far, they are about £1.50 per bag - so thats £30 of lettuce - not bad by mid-June (we've successional crops planted and by far the majority still to pick).

Doing so has also encouraged friends to grow their own in gardens, containers and one even in a hanging basket.

Salad leaves are the best way to enjoy own-grown produce, lessen the dependency on supermarkets and cut down on packaging!

p.s. Aldi have the best salad spinners!

[margotay]

Won't be able to get to an Aldi for a couple of weeks , so I succumbed yesterday and went to our local garden centre which has a kitchen place and bought one from there - cost £5.50 ,so it wasn't bad. It works really well and has an airtight lid so you can store salad in the freezer. Doesn't last long though - I keep going in and eating a few leaves every time I pass. Yumm, Yum !!

margo

[Nelly]

Bit late now, but charity shops are also good places to look for salad spinners. I've found two for just a few pence each. Mine has had a LOT of use so far this year as my first ever garden efforts (raised beds on a cobbled patio) are producing as much salad as I can eat. I just need to remember to plant some more in time to take over from the worn-out cut-and-come-again crops as they initially give the impression they'll go on forever! Might start doing the radishes in seed trays to keep them away from the slugs. Very pleased to have rocket, mixed leaves and swiss chard to pick at almost every mealtime. Sometimes I even poach a few of the smaller beetroot leaves - it doesn't seem to bother the developing roots. Gourmet food is so easy and so incredibly satisfying!

[trebellangeminired]

Aldi have salad spinner on special offer Sunday 15th June £3.49!

[JO,JO]

i wash individaul leaves in a bowl of water,then place in salad spinner.we must have saved a fortune as we were buying bags of salads at 99p a go! last year i keep sowing different varities of lettuce succesionally.and i have three rows in the raised beds of butterball.loose leafed etc.then i have a trough in the cold frame.and i sew a lettuce seed in a seed tray.so i am never without salad leaves also do this with radish.

[margotay]

I planted some radish the other day and I've just acquired some beetrooty type leaves which I am going to sow tomorrow.

My salad leaves are now wonderful after the salad spinner treatment followed by a few hours with the airtight lid on and left in the fridge. I took the bowl out today which had been in the fridge since yesterday morning and the leaves were so fresh and crunchy I couldn't believe it. Yum, yum !!!

margo

[Two_Sheds]

I am waiting for my nasturtiums to get going ... absolutely superb in a salad, hot and peppery. Eat the leaves and the flowers.