“The Search for Salad Greens
May Lead To Your Own Lawn”

 

 

 

 

Now is the time to begin talking about salad greens, one of the most important vegetables of the meal.
There is a wide choice of lettuce and other leafy vegetables from which to choose, and the more you use the better the flavor.
Wilted lettuce starts off the spring greens from the garden, but don’t bypass spinach for salads prepared the same way.
Of course, ahead of the garden you can find super greens from the fields, along the streams and in the woods, and maybe in your own lawn.
Dandelions are cultivated for greens in many countries of Europe and Japan. In fact there is a Dandelion Society in Japan. This I find difficult to accept. Here we make an all out effort to get rid of them while others cultivate them. Nevertheless, they are excellent spring salad greens, and the time spent out of doors in the fresh air and sunshine makes them doubly good for you.
While most vegetables must be planted in full sun, lettuce is one that will tolerate partial shade. Varieties that you may want to try if you have not grown any of the loose head type include Bibb, Butterhead, Romaine, Royal Oak Leaf (has deep red leaves), Amisle Deer Tougue, Bronze Arrowhead. Don’t overlook the good growing area at edges of shrub borders or even perennial borders. They will produce a lot of tasty salad greens, radishes and small beets. They look attractive and give you good food.
When you harvest the early greens and the other root vegetables, have ready small annual plants to tuck in vacant spots.

2005-2007
Vegetables/Herbs
TGCI, Chairman
Dottie Trinkle

 

 

DANDELION RECIPE
 

4 cups young dandelion leaves
1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard
4 slices of bacon
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar salt
   and pepper to taste
3 hard cooked eggs-sliced

Wash the dandelion leaves thoroughly, pat or spin dry. Fry the bacon until crisp, remove it from the pan. Add the sugar, mustard and vinegar to the bacon fat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the dandelion leaves, stir to coat them evenly. Put leaves in a bowl. Sprinkle bacon and decorate with hard cooked eggs. Serves 4.

Dottie Trinkle

 

WHAT TELLS US IN 10 DAYS AT
MIDNIGHT IT'S SPRING?

Written by Pearl Joffe
member of Broad Ripple Garden Club

WHY, DANDELIONS   SO...

DON'T BE DOWN ON DANDELIONS, I'M NOT.
THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY AND THEY MEAN A LOT.
ONE MORNING YOU LOOK OUT AND FAR AND NEAR...
ALL YOU CAN SEE ARE THE LITTLE DEARS.
THEY POP-UP THEIR COLORS IN BRIGHT YELLOW AND GREEN.
THEY'RE HAPPY -- NEVER INTEND TO BE MEAN.
DANDELIONS WERE IMPORTED --
FOR THE COLONISTS BROUGHT THEM.
THEY WERE COOKED -- AND FERMENTED, THOSE LITTLE GEMS.
SO ENJOY THEIR SHORT COMPANY,
THEY WHO SLEEP FROM DUSK TO LIGHT.
AND BEFORE YOU CUT THEM ALL DOWN...
BID THEM ALL A GOOD NIGHT!