The cold frames continue to deliver greens for fresh salads. The afternoon temperature is just hitting 40 F so it is a good time to pull some greens. I first grab carrots (Daucus carota ssp sativus), which are still loose in the soil. I harvest just enough for tonight and take a bite of one after I wash it. The sweetness of their flesh increases weekly.
Later I proffer Juana a taste.“That is so sweet,” she exclaims. “I love it. . . .you don’t expect me to give the rest back to you, do you?”Other root vegetables are absent but greens are still plentiful. Three or four different lettuces (Lactuca sativa), arugula (Eruca vesicaria ssp sativa) and corn salad (Valerianlla locusta) make up the majority of the greens. Snow pea (Pisum sativum var saccharatum) leaves and stalks and cutting celery (Apium graveolens) are a welcome garnish.
I can’t help but nibble my way though the harvest noticing how sweet the snow peas are. The soil is moist and pliable, unlike the hardened soil outside the cold frames. We have been lucky so far.The carrots and snow peas create almost a dessert-like taste to the salad because of their sweetness. I can only hope for more in the weeks to come.
