salad Crops

Growing Salad Crops

For many growers – on allotments , in back gardens, on patios or on small balconies – this is, apart from growing herbs, the most inspiring and often the most disappointing crop we can grow.

For starters, the seedlings and the growing on, of plants will need good quality compost with lots of appropriate fertiliser – don’t be fooled by the 3 for the price of 2 bags of fertiliser or the 3 for £10 deals. The result is the same, whether you plan to grow salads, herbs, tomatoes, chillies, cucumbers, etc, in your back yard, window-box, patio or terrace the result will be the same. The cheapie deals will be short of fertiliser to keep your plants growing and harvesting throughout the season.

My Bete Noire  [my absolute nono] is Grow bags which are too shallow and too lacking in nutrients to grow anything to the harvesting stage – yet are sold by the millions for growing tomatoes, etc in back-yards – How can they possibly -  argh!

Salad crops can be grown successfully through the growing season although, early sown crops are likely to be so much more successful whether on the allotment, on window boxes or in pots in the back garden.

What is our definition of a salad crop? For most people it is the green [or red]  leaf vegetable, although for others it includes the allium family – onions, chives, garlic, etc. Think also of the curcurbits – cucumbers cut into chunks or in slices. Let’s not ignore the solanum family –peppers, tomatoes and of course herbs – parsley [an old favourite] chives, mint, chervil, coriander and of course basil – an excellent crop for indoors in the UK and is an essential ingredient in most summer salads in the UK. I think, if celery is added and the flavour is wonderful in a salad, it should be cut into small pieces or left in sticks in a glass to be enjoyed as an aside by the diners if they wish.

Let’s not forget about spring onions [-although they don’t like being ignored nor inter-planted with other green vegetables – give them room on their own to develop. Try chives – not quite as good in my opinion and much to bashful although they have the bonus of being perennial. Clumps should be divided now to create new young plants in pots or gardens [preferably at the back door were they can used appropriately and as needed, and herbs.
I'm a great fan of adding fruit to my salads - particularly apple but I will also happily add orange or lemon segments, mango [not the tinned stuff], pears, 

Although later sown salad crops can, in theory, be as successful as earlier sown seeds and germination can be excellent, I have found that later lettuces and leaf vegetables [rocket, etc.] have been disappointing. Perhaps I have not been careful to ensure there is enough fertiliser in the compost. Perhaps I have not protected from predators/slugs carefully enough but, it always seem to me that the later crops are so much more demanding for so much less yield.

An interesting crop I have written about before – watercress [as with all salad crops – best to plant early in the season!] – keep the not-so-good stems from the packet of store bought watercress or, preferably from a packet of watercress from the supermarket, select a few strong stems, place them in a glass jar for a few days until they have rooted then plant them in a large container in a good compost, inside a larger container filled with water. In your back yard or patio you can have a good supply of watercress for some time. As the crop starts to decrease, start the process again.
Potato salad is wonderful as a side dish but I do like mine to have some 'bite' Try this recipe -
 

Potato Salad - Irish Style

As I was growing up, this is what I always understood was potato salad. I loved it and it was the only part of my mother’s version of ‘salad’ which I enjoyed – traditionally, lettuce, tomato, scallions, a boiled egg or perhaps a slice of cooked ham and the dreaded salad cream. I didn’t know that potato salad was boiled waxy potatoes with lots of mayonnaise, and a few herbs and a little seasoning – I prefer my mother’s version.

Ingredients

1 kg(2lb) potatoes – preferably not too waxy as you will need to mash them( leftover boiled                        potatoes are fine)

A bunch of scallions (spring onions)

Or

1 – 2 medium red onions

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 – 6 Tblsp vinegar ( a sharp vinegar is better so I use malt vinegar and add to my taste which is for a fairly sharp taste)

Bunch chopped parsley

Method

·         Allow the potatoes to cool or use leftover, cold boiled potatoes.

·         Mash the potatoes well.

·         Add salt and pepper to taste.

·         Chop the scallions or red onion finely and stir into the potatoes.

·         Chop the parsley finely and add to the mixture.

·         Add vinegar to give the level of sharpness you like.

·         Arrange in a suitable serving dish and garnish with herb – chervil, mint, basil.

Note: - although I like parsley in this dish, I also enjoy chopped chervil, mint, coriander or basil. You might also like to try replacing the malt vinegar with balsamic vinegar, lime juice or lemon juice.

I think the best salad I ever had was when I was holidaying in Corsica - I fancied the sound of Salade Paysanne on the menu of a beach-side cafe. The usual green vegetables, tomatoes were served in a huge mound on a giant sized plate but added to it were lots of crispy bacon pieces, quartered boiled eggs, wedges of potatoes and triangles of toast. I'd like to kid myself it was a healthy meal - being a salad,of course but, I fear it probably wasn't