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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: tim on July 20, 2004, 18:10:35

Title: Worth a try, I suppose?
Post by: tim on July 20, 2004, 18:10:35

Catalogna lettuce.

Yes - V decorative - so what does it taste like? - well, lettuce? Certainly not Iceberg, which all the family want & which is V susceptible to rots & things & V difficult to keep continuity of (English?). One would need to sow 2 a week? No,10 to allow for failures.

I'll keep it for 'arranging' on the plate!

The ones on the left are Marshall's 'Experimental Romaine type'. They go up to 2lb in weight! =  Tim

Title: Re:Worth a try, I suppose?
Post by: Mrs Ava on July 20, 2004, 18:23:03

I grew those trial romaines from Marshalls also Tim - all finished now.  They grew very well and looked very handsome, all the same.  Managed to work through quite a few before they started to bolt.  My curley biondi type are still growing and going strong and are yet to bolt.  The bolted romaines made tasty soup, altho you need to leave it for 24 hours before eating as the bitterness seemed to go after that time.

Title: Re:Worth a try, I suppose?
Post by: ina on July 20, 2004, 21:52:08

The romaine lettuce I know and grow are much more closed, the inside leaves are then nice and light green. Is it normal to have romaine grow so 'open'? I have one more left and will try to take a picture of it tomorrow to post here.

Title: Re:Worth a try, I suppose?
Post by: tim on July 21, 2004, 06:45:36

Hopefully, it will heart up. Even then, there's going to be an awful lot of lettuce soup!! = Tim

Title: Re:Worth a try, I suppose?
Post by: ina on July 21, 2004, 19:41:16

This is what mine looks like (see the ladybug on top? Noooo, I didn't put it there, honest). It's the last one and a bit far gone I'm afraid. Fristina just visible in the lower left corner. New head lettuce plantlets near this romaine lettuce.

(http://img55.photobucket.com/albums/v168/fergina/volkstuin/DSC00003sla_resize.jpg)

Title: Re:Worth a try, I suppose?
Post by: Derekthefox on July 21, 2004, 20:13:54

Catalogna - I grew it last year and although it cropped excellently, we harvested very little.
The reason? We found the taste very bitter, so I took loads into work and gave everyone a head.
Nearly all of them told me they didn't like it - too strongly flavoured!

So we won't be growing any more of that variety - we all live and learn, I suppose.

Title: Re:Worth a try, I suppose?
Post by: tim on July 22, 2004, 11:50:13

Yes - not your average white ribbed Arctic flavour?

Forget the childrens' idea of lettuce - there's a place for everything - like in decoration. And the Cat lettuce was never meant to be eaten as a whole head??

Ina - a bit blousy?? Tim

Title: Re:Worth a try, I suppose?
Post by: CotswoldLass on July 22, 2004, 13:25:19

Have you guys got the definitive recipe for lettuce soup? If so, can I have it pretty please?

(Yes, got lettuces bolting all over the place, but some lovely ones for salad, just not as experienced/expert as you growers!)

Love CLX  ???

Title: Re:Worth a try, I suppose?
Post by: Mrs Ava on July 22, 2004, 16:20:17

As posted by young Jeremy on the recipe board:

http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/recipes/soups/lettucesoup.htm

Have made gallons now, changing it a little each time, and each time it is delish!  :P

Title: Re:Worth a try, I suppose?
Post by: CotswoldLass on July 22, 2004, 16:42:16

Silly moi! (re post above!) Of course there is a recipe under....Recipes!  ::)

PS E-J Thanks lots....your post came up as I was writing this xx