Garden Greens

People do not know where their produce comes from anymore. With much of our foods being mass produced and mass processed we have lost that connection to the earth and the farmer. Our fruits and vegetables, no longer available based on season, are flown, trucked and transported from all over the world. We have sacrificed flavor for convenience and availability, not to mention the environmental impact we are imposing on the earth. For those of us that are fortunate to have farmers markets nearby, or a green thumb experience produce that is fresh and enjoyed in season. The flavor and the quality is undeniably superior. There is something to be said for the anticipation of Summer's ripe strawberries or crisp apples in the Fall or asparagus in the Spring. In lieu of developing a seasonal cadence to our eating, we demand year round availability...in the end sacrificing the true taste of food.

It was about 20 years ago that I was introduced to Arugula and that bland tasting iceberg lettuce we thought was salad was suddenly not even sandwich worthy. I never new salad greens went beyond the couple of supermarket lettuces available or that each one packed a unique punch of flavor. Thus began my new quest for these flavorful leaves of green. I would find recipes that called for Lolla Rossa or Dandelion or Mizuna but my frequent attempts to locate them in the produce section of our local grocery stores was an exercise of futility. The frustration and desire for these new tasty greens prompted me to plant my own garden and end the fruitless searching. That was 20 years ago and I have rarely since gone a season without planting lettuce and interesting greens in my backyard. And nothing beats freshly picked garden greens for a salad. Even better, you can customize your mix to layer lettuces like oak leaf, butter, lolla rosa, mache and spinach with distinctive flavors of greens like arugula, dandelion, mizuna and chicories to experience a world of interesting flavors, not to mention the health benefits these plants provide. Toss in some seasonal fresh fruit or a ripe summer tomato and simply dress with some good oil and vinegar and you will experience a taste that cannot be duplicated even by some of the best grocery store produce sections.

The good news is that lettuce is easy and quick to grow. It does equally well in pots if you have limited space. When the seeds begin to sprout and you need to thin out your seedlings you now have the opportunity to experience micogreens that can be used as a garnish or main ingredient. These tiny little leaves add dimension to any dish-from appetizers, salads and soups to entrees. You can even use them in place of parsley! Nothing beats the flavors when it is experienced from your garden to your table...the flavors are pure, pronounced and individualistic...something we truly sacrifice in our demand for continuous year round availibility of supermarket produce.

Pictured above was last night's salad mix for dinner from the backyard garden. Grab some seeds and plant your own...you will never regret it! For seed sources shop your local garden store and seek out heirloom lettuces and local varieties or go online to http://www.seedsavers.org/ which specializes in heirloom seeds dedicated to preserving biodiversity.