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Cut and Come Again
Baby Mesclun
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Your crop of mixed
lettuce leaves will grow rapidly if you keep it well watered. If
you’ve sown seed evenly, the seedlings will come up thickly and
weeds should not be a problem, but, if necessary, weed the bed while
the lettuce plants are tiny so they’ll have room to grow. If there
are a few bare spots, don’t worry as the lettuces generally will
fill them in as they grow. In about 35 – 45 days, your baby lettuces will reach
4 to 6 inches tall and it’s time to begin enjoying them in salads.
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Harvest by the
“cut and come again” method and they’ll regrow handily for several
cuttings. To do this, simply take a sharp scissors and shear off a
patch of leaves in the amount you need to fill your salad bowl. Cut
the leaves off at 1 to 2 inches above the soil level. Within a day
or two of cutting, water the bed well and feed lightly with fish
emulsion solution and the cut crowns of the lettuce will regrow for
another harvest or two. Cut the rest of your lettuce as needed, but
before it gets too large. This way the bed will constantly be
regrowing in different stages.
Take your basket of
just-picked young lettuces inside right away and very gently wash
and dry them and chill in a plastic vegetable bag in the
refrigerator. Enjoy soon as these little leaves don’t have the
keeping quality of mature heads. The baby leaves are wonderfully
delicate and succulent. Plan on dressing them with a light and
simple vinaigrette that doesn’t overwhelm their sweet flavors and
juicy textures. Add a sprinkle of fresh chopped salad herbs to toss
with the pretty leaves just before you sit down at the table.
Mesclun lettuces are a cool season crop. Grow in spring through
early summer and start another crop in early fall. Seeds just won’t
germinate well when the temperature of the soil and air regularly go
above 80 degrees. Keep the soil in your bed or containers evenly
moist as that will produce the sweetest, most succulent leaves from
plants that grow quickly and without interruption. If you want to
extend the salad season into hot weather, erect a canopy of shade
cloth over the lettuce bed to moderate hot conditions. It is also
helpful to chill the seeds in the refrigerator overnight and plant
at night so you have the coolest hours for seed to begin to sprout.
Plan to harvest baby lettuces in the cool of the morning or in the
evening after the heat of the day. Growing staggered crops is a good
way to have a constant supply of ready to eat salad.
Enjoying the harvest
Don't overwhelm these carefully nurtured leaves with store bought
dressings! Even those so called "gourmet brands" tend to be over-
seasoned and too heavy in taste to really complement your garden’s
bounty.
Classic Mesclun Dressing:
If you are in a hurry, here is my fast and delicious
simple vinaigrette recipe that never fails to satisfy:
Combine in a glass jar with a lid –1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons best
quality balsamic vinegar and 5 tablespoons best quality fruity olive
oil. Add 1/2 teaspoon prepared Dijon mustard, a pinch of salt and 6
or 7 generous grinds of fresh black pepper. Put on the jar lid and
shake well. The mustard will serve to emulsify the vinegar and oil.
Shake again and pour sparingly over the salad at the table and toss.
If you want to dress it up a bit, sprinkle over some toasted pine
nuts and chopped fresh chives and parsley. (Keep unused, left-over
dressing in a cool place to use up in a week or so. Don’t stint on
the quality of the oil and vinegar - buy the very best you can
afford!) Here is another
salad recipe that shows off your Mesclun.
Mesclun Salad With Walnuts & Grapes
The sweet flavors and mouth-filling textures of freshly harvested
Mesclun lettuces tossed with juicy grapes and toasted nuts make a
memorable salad combination.
Dressing:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 quart mixed mesclun lettuces, washed and dried
1 cup red Flame or other seedless red grapes
1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, orange zest, juice and tarragon.
Add oil gradually, whisking until thoroughly combined. Place Mesclun
in a salad bowl and toss with dressing.
Sprinkle grapes and nuts over salad just before serving.
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