Senga's Blog
Eco-chic Outdoor Living & Exterior Design
Feb. 12/2010 – The Planning Stage: Heirloom Leaf Lettuce Varieties
Create a Tapestry in Your Garden and On Your Plate
Blush Butter Clos Speckled Troutback
Want to spice up your salads – visually and gastronomically? This pretty mix called ‘Baby Leaf Lettuce Heirloom Cutting Mix’ includes seeds for red-flecked, lime-green ‘Speckled Troutback,’ sweet ‘Blush Butter Cos,’ juicy red ‘Devil’s Tongue’ and crispy, upright ‘Sucrine.’ Lettuce thrives in mild weather with consistent moisture. Both the The botanical name for lettuce is Latuca sativa. English name and the Latin name of the genus are ultimately derived from lac, the Latin word for “milk” referring to the plant’s milky juice. Mild in flavour, it has been described over the centuries as a cooling counterbalance to other ingredients in a salad.
And when things start to heat up in the summer, simply sow additional seeds in light shade. As with all leafy vegetables, the stronger the light, the higher the vitamin C content will be.
This mix is harvested as a ‘cut and come again’ method. Cut as much as your need to shear off a patch of leaves 1-2” above the soil level. Plants will regrow for several more cuttings.
Lettuce was considered an aphrodisiac food in Ancient Egypt. Later, Ancient Greek physicians believed lettuce could act as a sleep-inducing agent. The Romans cultivated it, and it eventually made its way to the Papal Court at Avignon, France. Christopher Columbus introduced lettuce to the New World.
Heirloom Cutting Mix – Baby Leaf Lettuce
Botanical name: Latuca sativa - assorted
Common Names: Speckled Troutback , Blush Butter Cos, Devil’s Tongue, Sucrine
Country of Origin: Speckled Trout = Austria, Blush Butter Cos = Kos Greek Islands, Devil’s Tongue = French, Sucrine = French
Description: Mixture of leaf lettuces see above description.
Best harvested: This mix is harvested as a ‘cut and come again’ method.
Time to Plant: Outdoors March 1 (4 weeks before last spring frost) and plant every two weeks.
Where to Sow and Grow: Full sun or partial shade in sandy to loamy soils.
Space: 15cm (6”) apart
Maturity: 40 Days
Tip: Heavy feeder and constant moisture.
Taste: Varies mild to bitter to sweet – check your varieties
Uses:
A salad of fresh, crisp spring lettuce needs little more than some high quality olive oil and a grind of salt and pepper to please the palate. However, chefs can use lettuce as the basis for more complex salads, and, surprisingly, in other dishes as well. If you're looking for some adventurous lettuce recipes, try one of these ideas:
• Lettuce and Potato Soup uses the tough, outer leaves and ribs of lettuce that are normally discarded when making a salad to add a subtle flavor and unique color to this tasty soup.
• Braised Lettuce is an uncommonly delicious way to enjoy head lettuce--ideal for those damp spring evenings when it feels too cold to eat fresh greens.
• Lettuce Wraps are an interesting and healthy alternative to bread, tortillas, or pita pockets and offer a gluten-free way to enjoy your favorite sandwich fillings. Choose large, flexible leaves for best results.
• Stir-fried Lettuce is a common dish in Chinese cuisine. Iceberg lends itself well to this preparation, which is flavored with sesame oil, tamari, rice wine, and garlic.
Place in Square Foot Garden: On edible green roof – perfect fast growing crop to interplant with slower vegetables such as my heirloom squashes, cucumbers, eggplant, heirloom tomato varieties such as 'Black Krim' and 'Bloody Butcher'. A master plan of the garden layout is forethcoming only a million more vegetables to plan and consider! (Hey I live with a chef!)
