NEW FOR 2010!! 30 - 50 days. This beautiful amaranth grows to 6' (1.8 m)with "garnet" red stems and fuschia-red leaves. One of the most intensely-coloured aramanths. The sprouts can be harvested for micro-greens and the leaves can be picked young for salad mixes. If you let it grow to its full glory, older leaves can be cooked like spinach and the seeds can be harvested for grain.
This ancient grain was grown by the Hopi and used as a ceremonial red food dye and to produce red cornmeal. The whole plant is absolutely stunning - deep bungundy/red stalk, stems and leaves and blood-red flower bracts. The immature flowerheads produce the dye and the seeds produce the flour. Beautiful enough for the flower garden, it grows to 6'. Young leaves can be eaten in salds or steamed.
(Amaranthus cruentus) I can't find any history on this species of amaranth, but I do know that many salad growers cite this as the best-tasting amaranth green for salads. Young leaves can be harvested for salads and the seedheads are highly nutritious. They are a favourite food of songbirds. Growing 4-6' high, these highly ornamental plants have burgundy stalks and stems wiht red seedheads. The seedheads are also great in dried flower arrangements.
45 days. A salad green used since Roman times (the Romans also used it as an aphrodisiac, but we're not promoting that. Then again...). with a slightly peppery taste, arugula is high in Vitamins A and C. Easy to grow, this is a "must have" for your salads as far as I'm concerned. Cool-weather crop.
60 - 70 days. One of the most nutritious of all greens, collards are a vegetable staple in the southern U.S. and their popularity is growing rapidly in all other regions. The vigorous, short-stemmed, easy to grow plants are tolerant of heat and cold and are rich in vitamins and minerals. The juicy, thick, green leaves have a mild cabbage-like flavour and are delicous fresh in salads, boiled or steamed.
(Lepidium sativum) 20 - 45 days. Although its origins are obscure, it is thought that this cress originally came from Persia in ancient times. Milder than other cresses, with broader, 2-6" long leaves that are lightly serrated and have a mild, peppery cress flavour, it grows quickly and should be harvested when young. Use lightly in salads or as a garnish. It's very easy to grow and tolerates a wide variety of growing conditions.
NEW FOR 2010!! (Cichorium endivia) Endive is originally from the eastern Mediterranean region, where it has been cultivated for at least 2000 years. The ancient Romans, Egyptians and Greeks used endive as a winter salad. It was a popular market vegetable in North America in the 1860's but has largely been forgotten now. Newly rediscovered for its mild, nutty flavour and its beauty and hardiness, endive grows to 6" diameter, making it perfect for small gardens. Its frilly finely-cut leaves are delicous in salads, sautees, soups, stews and ragouts. Blanche before harvest.
NEW FOR 2010!! (Portulaca oleracea) Purslane, which is mainly regarded now as a troublesome weed, was a revered European vegetable for hundreds of years. Gerard, an Elizabethan herbalist, wrote "Raw Purslane is much used in sallads (sic), with oil, salt and vinegar." According to Mrs. Grieve's Herbal "The succulent leaves and young shoots are cooling in spring salads, the older shoots are used as a pot-herb and the thick stems of plants that have run to seed are pickled in salt and vinegar to form winter salads." In ancient times, it was considered to have powers against magic and was strewn around beds to protect against evil spirits. Even more helpful, it was considered "the" cure for "blastings by lightening or planets and burning of gunpowder" - so who would want to be without it? Recently popular largely due to Dr. Oz's endorsement of it as a miracle anti-aging food, it is the highest-known plant source of Omega-3 fatty acids and has a high Vitamin E content. The wild forms are nicely edible (I nibble as I weed) but this variety is superior in size and taste. Light green to golden -yellow succulent leaves are tender, melt-in-your-mouth sweet and enliven salads or can be cooked in stir-fries.
28 - 45 days. An ancient cultivated plant, orach has been grown and used in the same way as spinach. Indeed, some of its aliases are "Mountain Spinach" and "French Spinach". A native of Europe and Siberia, it grows up to 6' high with large, triangular leaves that are used fresh in salads or can be cooked when older. Just starting to be rediscovered now in North America as a gourmet green, it makes a tasty and colourful addition to salads. The colour of this one, discovered by John Navazzio at a Montana homestead, is an eye-popping bright fuscia! It is a cool weather crop and prefers rich soil but is drought-tolerant. Leaves should be picked as needed.
NEW FOR 2010!! Aka "Mountain Spinach". 45 days. This form of orach is a deep purple, with leaves that are thicker and more savoyed than other orach varieties.
(Aka Bok Choy, Pak tsoi) 45-60 days. Gaining increasing visibility in North America,Pak Choy is an oriental heirloom that has been a mainstay in China since the 5th C. The versatile, bulbous plants can be harvested and cooked whole or in parts - boiled, steamed, sauteed, stir-fried or raw in salads. A cool-weather plant, it is best sown in early spring or late summer.
85 days. The culinary use of radicchio dates back centuries - Pliny credited its introduction to the ancient Egyptians. A popular European salad vegetable, especially in Italy, it is also gaining steady ground in North America. Forming heads of dark red leaves with stark white veining, it adds colour and texture to mesclun mixes or salads. It has a tangy taste that doesn't get bitter and can be planted for both summer and fall harvest.
Aka "Broccoli Raab". 45 - 60 days. Despite its common name, this healthful vegetable is actually a member of the turnip family. Generally considered to have originated in the Mediterranean, it is a favourite Italian green that is also common in Chinese and Portugese cuisine. The leaves are cut when 10-12" long and the broccoli-like flowerheads are harvested before they bloom. This miracle food is packed with vitamins and antioxidants and has a bitter, nutty taste. The bitterness can be reduced by boiling it before using it in cooking. Like all brassicas, it is a cool weather crop; as an added bonus it will also tolerate several hours of shade a day.
NEW FOR 2010!! (Chrysanthemum coronarium) 30 - 50 days. Aka "Garden Chrysanthemum". Yes, it's a flower related to our garden chrysanthemum and, yes, it's edible - unlike its horticultural coursin. An Asian heirloom green, it is valued in both Japan and China for its mildly-piquant flavour and finely-cut leaves. The leaves and stems can be cut as micro-greens or allowed to grow and are used fresh in salads, added to stir-fries or used as a pot-herb. Growing to 3-4', this variety produces many side stalks for continual harvesting. This will make an unusual and flavourful addition to salad mixes. If allowed to bloom, it produces pretty white flowers with yellow centres that are edible (but remove the yellow centre as it's bitter). BACK-ORDERED.
