Monday 2 February 2015

Harvest Monday - corn salad aka lambs lettuce

So this week I've had two small pickings of corn salad, also known as lamb's lettuce, a hardy salad leaf, with lovely dark leaves. I left a few plants to go to seed a few years ago. This year, after harvesting potatoes and disturbing the soil a bit, I had a surprise crop spring up. I've got some leeks and chard in the same bed too, that I transplanted there after harvesting all the potatoes. I've now covered this bed with environmesh.

The first picking, which went into sarnies for lunch,

And some more I picked today, for more sarnies made this evening (with egg and carrot). There's quite a few little corn salad plants, and rather than leave them to get big and picking a whole plant, (which would take a long time to grow) I've been picking a few leaves from each, a bit like 'cut and come again'. These were only little sandwiches so I made 3 to have one and a half each :) Nice to have some fresh greenery.

And a bit of a beige but tasty meal yesterday (I didn't realise how bad the photo made the meal look, I was rushing to eat! ) with home grown veggies - cabbage, potatoes and plum chutney. Also a celeriac roasted as chips but not home grown. Plus I made another two of Shaheen's chickpea loaf (I froze one). It was raining all day so I felt like a bit of baking.

And finally, nothing to do with harvests but....how cute is our cat Minxie!!! Enjoying a sunny spot.

Linking in with Harvest Monday over at Daphne's Dandelions.

 

15 comments:

  1. I've never thought of putting carrot in a sandwich.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I put it in sometimes sue, cutting the carrot quite thinly, adds a bit of crunch.

      Delete
    2. I put grated carrot in a sandwich too, but its mostly with hummus - I nicked the idea from Boots, they used to do a vegan sandwich (not sure if they still do it) called Bugs Bunny, or something like that...anyway, I started making it at home. Now you reminded me and I shd make it for work one of these days.

      Delete
    3. I'm too lazy to grate the carrot Shaheen (which also makes more washing up!) so I just slice it thinly instead for sandwiches :). Although in the summer when making salads I do grated carrot with poppyseed and drizzle with cider vinegar or similar.
      Definitely good to get inspiration from shop combinations. I save the ingredients lists from posh salads, keep meaning to make them (like lentil salads). I've never actually got round to making one though!

      Delete
  2. I do occasionally grow a bit of Corn Salad, but it is frustratingly slow to mature! I usually pick a few leaves at a time, like you do, and put them in a mixed salad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is slow isn't it mark! I've spotted a few more little seedlings of corn salad so hopefully will get a spring harvest.

      Delete
  3. That corn salad looks so fresh & delicious! I haven't grown any yet, but it is on the list to try in the future.

    Oh, Minxie is adorable...I loved when our cats did the "curl".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Margaret! It's a good crop for early and late season, and grows best for me when it self seeds. I Have some packet seed left but I might just throw it randomly on my two small veg beds in the back garden to see what happens.
      Thank you, minxie sure is a cutie! And has a talent for finding the sunny places.

      Delete
  4. That is a nice harvest for the middle of winter. I have some mache down under the snow too, but I'm not digging to find it. I'll eat it in the spring when the snow melts.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks daphne, I haven't heard it called mache before (had to google it). It'll be a nice harvest for you when the snow's gone.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Salad still coming from the garden, how lucky are you. Oh I am also so glad you are still making the Chickpea Loaf - good to know it freezes well. By the way, I have all the ingredients to make your Chestnut Loaf, so will let you know when I the blog post goes up. MInxie looks so adorable,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Shaheen. Yeh the loaf is so easy, a great one to keep making. I varied this one a bit and mixed a tin of chick peas and a tin of butter beans to make enough mixture for two loaves (I'd had the butter beans knocking around for a while so thought I'd use them up).
      Ooh, I might get some chestnut loaf out of the freezer for tea :)

      Delete
  7. HAd no idea lamb's lettuce lasted through the winter, Lou - yet another reason to include this in my new (tiny) patch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it's a good one Lynne, and can be sown late summer so is good as a follow-on once you've harvested summer crops and then have an empty space. It doesn't do well for me in the summer anyway, so is better for autumn/ winter / spring. The dark leaves are good for you too :)

      Delete
  8. I have sown it before as part of a 'mixed leaves' seed packet, but, as I say, had no idea it was a 'keeper'. Great news!

    ReplyDelete