The long cool spring was ideal for growing lettuce, the harvest has been tasty and overwhelming. Our recent blast of heat may signal an end, but I am busily stocking bags full in my fridge to chill for myself and visitors. I grow lettuce every spring and resolve to critique my choices and make decisions for fall or the following spring. Since we are sometimes short on spring and long on summer, I've started growing miniature heads which come in numerous forms and seem perfect for us.
Choices are many but it boils down to colorful leaves, good taste, and an early harvest. The mini romaine heads are excellent, harvested early or late, the leaves are tender unlike what we often buy at the grocery store. The variety 'Truchas' has gorgeous bronzy, red leaves which I place with 'Dragoon' and 'Breen', which are green and then speckled on the latter.
If you are a fan of big leaves and green leaves I recommend 'Nevada' and the Salanova varieites such as 'Green Butter'. The Salinova lettuce is a small, loose head that can be easily harvested and turned into the perfect salad with very little effort. A favorite for hydroponic farmers, I suspect that it's often the variety found in the grocery store in those perfect small heads in a plastic flip lid container. Nevada has larger leaves and is the brightest green of any I grow, which is good for a mix of leafy greens.
The photo below shows 'Nevada' on the top left and Salanova 'Green Butter' on the top right. Below, from left to right are 'Truchas', 'Dragoon', and then Oakleaf 'Oscarde'.
I revisited orach, which is sometimes referred to as French spinach. The purple color is intense and the flavor is very similar to spinach. Pretty enough to grow in the flower garden, but quick to bolt when it warms up.
Kohlrabi is also a favorite, sometimes called the German turnip. The flavor is not all turnip, the plant is related to cabbage and broccoli, so the taste is more like a crispy mix of broccoli stems and turnip with a sweet flavor. The round bulb is above ground, easy to harvest and the leaves can be eaten like kale. This year I'm trying kohlrabi coles-slaw, which will surly be delicious based on how tasty they are just plain.
My seeds were purchased from Johnny's Seed, and all planted directly in the ground in very early March. Of course it helps to have my husband's fresh compost to start things, but bottom line, these are incredibly easy to grow and far superior to what you usually find at your local grocery store.