Lettuce and salad leaves that actually taste of something

[redser]

HI - I'm looking for recommendations for salad leaves to sow, some things that actually taste of something if you know what I mean I have mustard greens coming and the taste is great! While lettuce and salad leaves are good for you they do tend to be a bit eh ... lacking. So do you have any favourites I could try? Cheers

[veggiechicken]

Rocket, rocket and more rocket! So easy, self seeds, I can eat a sandwich filled with rocket and nothing else. Oriental mustard greens are good too, as you've found, but rocket..... Grows all year round in the greenhouse.

[redser]

Thanks! That's one for the list, like it too, didn't think of it.

[Florence Fennel]

I mix together packets of different lettuce seed, rocket, chard, beetroot and herbs (chives, basil, coriander), whatever I think I would like in my "salad" and sow them as CACA (cut and come again) and sow them in containers and in any spare pockets of garden I can find. Delish.

[Bren In Pots]

I sow 'Mixed spicy salad leaves' most seed firms sell them mine are Mr Fothergills.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Fav lettuce Lollo Rossa a red CACA topped with chopped garlic chives.

The other thing is fresh from the garden beats shop bought any day.

Colin

[Peas'n'Kews]

Wild garlic (out now) and lovage are great tasty additons to salad. And I agree with the posts above, chives, corriander etc are also great to pep up those relatively boring salad leaves. Wild garlic flowers can be eaten too, and it is a great self seeder - you also find it wild in the west country, but not so much around here.

I have just picked garlic leaves, lovage, corn salad (overwintered) and the thinnings from Winter Density and we are having salad for tea along with some yummy pasta and cherries from the freezer!

[Two_Sheds]

I love nasturtiums for a peppery kick

Lemon sorrel is lovely for a bit of acid sharpness

[marchogaeth]

Can I put a word for Land Cress, as tasty as water cress and there all through the winter.

[planetologist]

SAGE! parsley, endives, salad burnet
And I'd second rocket, mustard greens, sorrel, and land cress. Nasturtiums are lovely, but tender so they're quite a wait.
Sage, sorrel and salad burnet are perennials and the first two have been producing for maybe 4-6 weeks and salad burnet 2 weeks.

[bradlo]

Rocket, rocket and more rocket! So easy, self seeds, I can eat a sandwich filled with rocket and nothing else. Oriental mustard greens are good too, as you've found, but rocket..... Grows all year round in the greenhouse.

VG what sort of containers do you grow your rocket in ?

[veggiechicken]

Just for you Bradlo!

As you see I grow it in the greenhouse beds around bottomless pots that contain real things like pea shoots and the experimental potatoes that are growing from rooted shoots - but that's another story!
Rocket will grow anywhere in anything - give it a go. Thanks for reminding me that its time to cut some for my lunchtime buttie!

[Lazgaot]

Landcress! Grows really well for me and tastes fantastic. Rocket too would get my vote, but can be a bit susceptible to bugs.

[redser]

Just for you Bradlo!
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As you see I grow it in the greenhouse beds around bottomless pots that contain real things like pea shoots and the experimental potatoes that are growing from rooted shoots - but that's another story!
Rocket will grow anywhere in anything - give it a go. Thanks for reminding me that its time to cut some for my lunchtime buttie!

Thanks everyone, lots of great ideas!

veggiechciken, it looks like you grow salad under your staging, is that right? Was thinking of the wasted space under my bench, might try use it for salad, it's farily high so maybe gets enough light.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Redser, Yes I grow under the staging. The GH is on concrete so I've put planks along to form a bed on 3 sides, lined it with polythene and filled it with compost.. The trays on the staging are removable so I take out all those that aren't in use to let more light in. I sit bottomless pots on the compost and plant my tomatoes in them and use the staging to support them as they grow. Obviously the trays are out by then! Rocket and other salad leaves just keep on growing round the pots. There is a big clump of landcress too which also selfseeds like crazy and, if you like watercress is well worth growing (as the others have said).