by Alyse on Monday, December 13, 2010
Crisp lettuce, plucked out of the snow in November, brought me nearly as much joy as my entire Thanksgiving dinner. No mulch, tarp, or cloche was involved - this lettuce would simply make it on it’s own or not at all. I only went to the trouble of putting the seeds in the ground. By the end of the season, I walk a very fine line between hobby gardening and overworked burnout. Any more effort may have taken me to a limit I didn’t want to reach, so if my lettuce crop was destined to wither, unprotected from the cold, so be it. I would look forward to the next crop in the spring rather than get sick of all the work and quit. This makes real farmers laugh and roll their eyes but we’re not real farmers and we know it. We tend to our crops after we’ve worked all day, finished the house chores, gone for a run, mowed the lawn and kept dates with our friends. Although it’s our biggest hobby, it’s still just a hobby and when a hobby becomes too much work, it’s no longer a hobby at all. Managing the amount of sweat we’re willing to commit to, ensures we’ll continue to enjoy our passion for growing food. I will say there’s great pleasure in enjoying something you’ve worked hard for, but if you’ve worked too hard, the pleasure is lost. That was a lesson from my wise parents.
This was the very last harvest of the rather effortless fall salad greens and I ate them plain, stuffing one whole crunchy leaf into my mouth at a time – knowing it would be months before I would get to enjoy them again. The cold gave the lettuce an extra rigid crispness that felt as though it was flexing it’s muscles to withstand the elements. I’m not sure what variety these were. I remember sprinkling a little of each seed to give them all a chance, knowing only the toughest would make it. Just one distinct variety survived in two colors. I’ll have to research my seed mixes to identify it as the epitome of hardy.
Not every leaf survived the weather so well. I had to separate the good from the bad and the ugly.
When we heard the snow was coming, we harvested what was left of the late tomatillos and a few leaves of kale. The tomatillos are still in the fridge, keeping well. Some are meager but still treasures to us.
We’ll enjoy some green salsa soon but the kale was needed to add some life to a hot can of soup for lunch that day.
The Red Boar Kale is as beautiful as it is delicious. It seems to turn deeper shades of purple as the temperature drops but it remains crisp, firm, and loaded with fresh green flavor.
by Alyse on Monday, August 23, 2010
A cold soggy Sunday at the end of summer was the perfect day for a garden feast. What started with early morning potato digging under a steady drizzle led to pulling up carrots, chopping up green beans, dusting off the crock pot and opening a bottle of wine. What we ended up with was a fabulous beef stew, some crusty bread, and a crisp side salad. 
These tomatoes were calling to me too.
The salad also featured the famous “slug proof” Summertime Crisp Head lettuce and Red Torpedo Onions.
The measurements of the ingredients don’t really matter but here’s a rough recipe for today’s stew:
- 4 potatoes
- 4 carrots
- 1 onion
- a handful of green beans chopped
- 1/2 head of garlic
- 1 pack of sliced mushrooms
- 1 pound of stew meat
- 1/2 cup of assorted dried beans
- 1 quart beef broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
Brown the meat then combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low all day. Enjoy with a glass of wine.
by Alyse on Tuesday, August 3, 2010
I chose Summertime Crisphead lettuce when my seed company told me it was bolt proof in the peak of summer heat but if that wasn’t enough, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it’s true worth. I know it sounds a little rediculous but I swear it’s true. I keep inspecting my row of lettuce each day for the chance that I’m wrong. Is it just a coincidence that every plant surrounding it is covered in slug damage
but every leaf of every plant in the entire row of Summertime is untouched?
I think not. I’ve treated it with nothing. I had been treating the entire garden with organic slug bait at the first sign of infiltration but I got distracted with summer fun and began slacking off so now they’re back for more demolition and everything seems to be targeted but this lettuce. I wondered if perhaps the seed company lied to me and it was actually horribly bitter (I don’t know if slugs care about bitterness but something must keep them away) so I tried it and it’s just like Iceberg – crisp and delicious. I guess I don’t need to know how or why but I’ll just rejoice in this small miracle and spread the word.
by Alyse on Thursday, July 8, 2010
The old saying “make hay while the sun shines” comes to mind as I reflect on the last few months but the more fitting words would be “make lettuce while the sun doesn’t come out for weeks”. I’ve made the most of the long cold spring we’ve had by indulging in the crop that thrives in it. My peppers may never set fruit this year but the conditions have made for a legendary lettuce crop. Now that the heat has arrived, it’s a mad dash to use it all before it wilts or bolts and that means forcing bags of lettuce onto any takers I can find. Just recently my dear friend Ewa invited me over to have a beer and help bake a cake and what goes better with beer and cake than four heads of lettuce?
I’ll be grazing on fresh greens for breakfast lunch and dinner until I can take no more and I’ll think about how much I miss fresh lettuce in the dead of winter. You can buy it at the store but like I always say – it doesn’t come close to this good if its not fresh out of the garden.
The varieties I’ve enjoyed the most this year are: Marshal Red Romain, Midnight Ruffles Loose Leaf, Buttercrunch, Red and Green Oak Leaf and Black Seeded Simpson. There’s one more I’m holding out hope for still – Summertime Crisp Head has a reputation for unusually good heat tolerance and it should be mature in about 3 weeks. This heat wave will be the ultimate test.
by Alyse on Sunday, May 2, 2010
I just returned from a 3 day vacation in Las Vegas and although I enjoyed the weather, it was in a poolside lounge chair under the sun that I realised my odds of winning are much better in gardening than in blackjack. This morning, under a gentle Seattle sprinkle, I found my winnings in a bounty of fresh greens for the first garden salad of the season.
A mix of Red Fire Lettuce, Baby Bok Choy, Baby Collards, and Midnight Ruffles Lettuce. I can’t wait to enjoy this tossed in a vinaigrette with olives and feta alongside a hot bowl of potato leak soup and a crusty loaf of bread. This is my jackpot.
by Alyse on Tuesday, April 13, 2010
OK I haven’t tried them all and in my lifetime I never will but of the lettuces I have tried, so far there is an easy favorite: New Red Fire! 
It’s loose leaves are delicate and crisp with a delicious, mild flavor and not a bitter trace. It matures quickly in just 29 to 40 days. I found it to be extremely cold hearty as this is one of two plants that have been in the ground all winter with no protection from the elements. And, probably the least important quality but the reason it caught my eye in the first place, it’s BEAUTIFUL!
Looks great in the salad bowl. I can’t say enough nice words about this lettuce.
by Alyse on Saturday, March 13, 2010
Because no one really needs 6 square feet of Thyme, I cut mine way back this year to make better use of the space. I carefully dug up a big chunk of it with the roots intact and placed it on the curb with a note that read “free thyme plant”. I watched a happy passerby stop and scoop it up like a pot of gold.
I’ve cut the rosemary and sage way back as well and after amending the soil with compost, in the new found space, I’ve sown butter lettuce, leaf lettuce, and chard in and amongst the herbs. What’s left of the thyme? Still plenty to share with the neighbors.
