Red Oak Lettuce

the leaves will turn a darker red around the edges as it matures.

If I had to choose which of the more than 50 varieties of lettuce or greens I grow for market as my all time favorite, I would have to say it is RED OAK LEAF LETTUCE.

This cut and come again lettuce will grow and produce through my entire (short) growing season.  I cover it with shade cloth when the days begin to get hot and keep it fairly moist.  Mulch heavily to obtain moisture.  I usually get 5 cuttings (every other week) before the plants need to be tilled under and replanted with a fall crop of radishes or broccoli.

This lettuce doesn't get bitter like many of the other varieties of lettuce.  I leave several plants un-cut that will mature and produce seed for next years crop.  The red oak leaf seed is quite hard to find in garden centers or nursery catalogs.  I would suggest if you find a source, order several packets of seed and then start saving your own seed.  If you find a salad mix that contains Red Oak, just allow the Red Oak to go to seed. To save seed, simply allow a couple of plants to mature (choose the ones that are the slowest to bolt).  Late in the fall when the seeds are dry harvest and store in a paper bag until all the moisture is gone from the seed.  I put the seeds in a small airtight jar and store in a cool, dry, dark place. 

the seeds of Red Oak lettuce have a red/purple hue to them

Gather on a dry day late in the morning.  Pick flower/seed heads and rub chaff off between your hands.  Gently drop the seeds into a paper bag,.  Holding the seeds up several inches from the opening  will allow most of the chaff to be blown away from the seeds.

CHARD

As the season came to a close last fall, I snapped a picture of this chard plant

what's so special about this plant you may ask yourself........

it obviouly is a regular ole swiss chard,

 surrounded by weeds 

(note, there is also celery in there someplace)

well, let me tell you what was so special about this chard

IT WAS ALMOST 5 FEET TALL!

I didn't have the heart to harvest it,

 other than the lower leaves that yellowed, I fed to the chickens

so I just let it go to seed

and as soon  as it warms up enough,

I will have little chardets coming up everywhere!

Mom's sellin WEED(s) at market

lambs quarter

white goose foot

fat hen

wild spinach

Hold your horses, and don't get your knickers all tied in knots, it's not that kind of weed.  I purposely raise a beautiful patch of weeds to sell at the Farmer's Market.  We have been supplying weeds for the past 5 years with mixed reviews.  Last week I was surprised we sold all the LAMB QUARTER we harvested.  Usually I will have one or two people purchase it, but this week the whole basket sold!  Lamb's quarter, or wild spinach as it is know by, is a leafy, dark green weed full of vitamins and minerals.  It has an extremely long tap root which pulls  nutrients from deep in the soil.,  It is high in Vitamin C and Riboflavin.  1 cup wilted Lambs Quarter. contains high amounts of Vitamin A, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, Vitamin E, B6, and Thiamine.  It is also referred as white goose foot or fat hen.  It's botanical name is Chenopodium album.  Several years ago my youngest son and I were weeding together early in the morning.  He was half asleep and plopped down by my cultivated 20x30 foot patch of lambs' quarter and began weeding.  I am sure he thought this is a good place to weed without having to exert myself this early in the morning.   " Jake," I said,  "Don't pull the lambs quarter  in that patch.  It's just about ready to take to market."  I wish you could have seen the look on his face when he realized that I actually SOLD the weed at market and that people actually PAID money, cold hard cash, for weeds at market.  I guess that is quite a concept to wrap your mind around when you are 10 years old and it's 5:30 in the morning.  Now it is just a big joke about having a mom who sells weed(s) at the farmer's market.  This week we will have both Lambs Quarter and Dandy-lion Greens.  Be brave and try some!

  I raised my kids on dandy lions.  Making syrup and jelly from the flower heads, sitting in the tall grass eating the fresh picked greens as we made necklaces from the stems.  Weaving the bright flowers into the thick braids of my daughter's hair.  Making wishes before blowing the seeds high in the breeze to be carried away for another sun-shiny day's harvest.  I loved getting the first flowers of spring from tiny hands covered in dirt, a huge smile and accompanied by a hug.   I would have several glasses filled with water and bright cheery yellow flowers lining the window seal above the kitchen sink.  Dandy-lions are welcome in my yard.

LAMBS QUARTER SPREAD

 1/3 c. olives, 1 tsp. mustard, 2 tbs. olive oil

2 cups lamb quarter leaves stripped from stem.  1 small onion, 1 ripe avocado, 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts.

Process in a food processor and serve on your favorite crusty bread.

QUICHE

4 cups leaves

3 eggs

1 3/4 cup milk

1 small shallot

2 cups cheese grated

2 tbs. flour

Saute shallot until tender, add lambs quarter.  Wilt for 3 minutes.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

In a prepared pie crust sprinkle half of the grated cheese.  Place a layer of lambs quarter, a layer of cheese, lambs quarter, pour over eggs and milk mixture.  Top with a thick layer of cheese.

Bake 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Note this is similar to the Spinach Quiche in an earlier blog

WILTED LAMBS QUARTER

Steam lambs quarter lightly.  Plate and drizzle with olive oil

 and fresh minced garlic and seasoning.

LAMBS QUARTER AND FILLO DOUGH PIE

4 cups lambs quarter

2 eggs beaten

9 oz. feta or fresh goat cheese

1/2 c. pine nuts toasted

1/2 cup scallions

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 pound fillo dough

 Strip the leaves off the stems.  Measure out 4 cups.

                                   Saute scallions, add lambs quarter and parsley, wilt for 3 to 5 minutes

Set aside to cool slightly.

In a pie plate lined with parchment paper, layer the fillo dough alternately so when the edges are folded up it will fully in-case the lambs quarter.  Brush with butter between layers.  Crumble 1/2 cup cheese over bottom of pan.  Fold  pine nuts into greens and place over cheese in the bottom of the pie pan.  Salt and Pepper.  Pour eggs over top.  Fold up the edges of the dough, brushing with butter.  Transfer the pie to a large baking sheet and bake in a 375 oven for 35 minutes.

using our farm-fresh eggs and home-made goat cheese makes everything (even weeds ) taste better

Arugula/Rocket

Arugula or rocket, as it is sometimes called, is a spicy, peppery green used in salads.  It is generally eaten fresh, but some recipes call for it to be slightly wilted.  It is a green that few people ask for at market, however I do have several people who come faithfully each week for their arugula.  The taste reminds me of the watercress we used to gather from the creek when I was a kid, however it is more pundgent.  It is growing in popularity especially in the fancy resturants.  We grow arugula in the green house for early spring and late fall harvests.  This winter was very mild compared to most years and we picked arugula all winter except for January.  It does very well in the greenhouse environment.  Often greens grown in the green house will get "slimmy", but arugula grows in an upright position that allows  enough air flow around the leaves so it won't rot.

Arugula already going to seed in the greenhouse in late March

I allow the fall Arugula in the greenhouse to go to seed and it is one of the first plants to break ground in the spring.  Green house grown arugula is lighter in color and larger leafed than the out door grown arugula.  It is a little milder also.  I prefer it grown this way.

COMPANION PLANTING:   a few years back I had problems with the flea beetles eating my lettuce.  I raise a large variety of lettuces for market and my CSA shares and was quite concerned about the damage the beetles were causing.  In one of my mesclen plantings I noticed the lettuce was undisturbed and the arugula planted with it was full of holes.  After closer inspection of all the greens I discovered that the beetles prefered the spicy greens (arugula, mustard, mache etc.) to the lettuse.  Now I plant large patches of arugula next to the lettuce beds to attract the flea bettles.  The flea beetles are usually a problem in the early spring and then they lay their eggs to over winter and hatch the following spring.  I read that if you would keep the weeds and debry out of your garden you won't have to much trouble with them.  Well, we pull every weed by hand instead of using chemical sprays and we mulch heavily to conserve water so I guess we will just have to feed them arugula through the spring.


Give this green a try you just may like it----or maybe not------


ARUGULA and FIG SALAD

4 cups arugula
8 fresh figs      (Sarah has yummy figs at the Ansestor Square Market)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan Cheese
4 tbs. toasted pinenuts
2 tbs. honey
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar

Toss washed, dried and torn arugula, figs, cheese, and pinenuts in a bowl.  Whisk honey and vinegar together.  Pour over salad before serving.






ARUGULA PESTO SAUCE

3c. arugula, packed----wash and dry well
1/3c. pinenuts toasted
1/2c. fresh grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large clove garlic chopped
3 tbs. olive oil

Add all ingredients except olive oil into a food processor.  Chop until fine.  Add oil in a slow, steady stream while blending.  Blend until smooth.  This will keep in a fridge for a week.  Add hot water if it is to thick.







BACON AND ARUGULA SALAD

washed, dried, torn Arugula
1 lb. bacon chopped
2 large eggs--from our hens of course
1/4c. cider vinegar
2 tbs. honey
dash of paprika, salt & pepper
1/4c. milk
1/2 stick unsalted butter

Cook bacon until crisp.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, vinegar, honey, paprika, salt and pepper.  Warm milk in a large saucepan.  Remove from heat add butter.  When butter is melted add 1/2 of the warm milk to the egg mixture.  Whisking constantly; pour this mixture into the remaining pan of milk.  Cook over medium-low heat.  Do not over-heat the eggs will curdle.  Pour over torn arugula.  Add bacon on top.  Serve immediately.






CORN, ESCAROLE AND ARUGULA SALAD

3 tbs. Balsamic vinegar
freshly ground pepper and sea salt
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove minced
6 cups trimmed escarole or curly endive
2 cups arugula
fresh uncooked corn

Wash greens, spin or pat dry.  Tear into pieces.  In a large salad bowl whisk vinegar, salt and pepper.  Add olive oil in a thin stream whisking constantly.  Whisk in minced garlic.
Using a very sharp knife cut kernels from the corn.  Stir kernels into the vinaigrette.  Add greens and toss until the leaves are coated with the dressing.  Plate the salad.  Scoop corn kernels left on the bottom of the bowl onto the top of each salad serving.