Growing Lamb's Lettuce Yourself

Growing Lamb’s Lettuce (Rapunzel Salad)

Lamb’s lettuce, also known as Rapunzel salad, is a popular and nutritious leafy green. It is rich in folic acid and can withstand frost, making it a resilient choice for home growers. This guide provides instructions on how to successfully cultivate lamb’s lettuce.

Sowing Lamb’s Lettuce

1. Preparation: Prepare the soil by weeding and loosening it. Create rows about one centimeter deep.
2. Sowing: Scatter the fine lamb’s lettuce seeds into the prepared rows. Avoid sowing too densely, as this can hinder plant development.
3. Covering: Gently cover the seeds with about one centimeter of soil.
4. Thinning: If seedlings emerge too close together and appear pale or stunted, thin them by carefully removing some plants to allow others space to grow.
5. Location: Lamb’s lettuce prefers a bright location and is not demanding in terms of soil or fertilization.

Harvesting Lamb’s Lettuce

To harvest, cut the green leaf rosettes just above the soil level with a sharp knife. This allows the root system to remain in the ground, enabling the plant to regrow.

Cleaning:

1. Place the harvested leaves in a large bowl of water.
2. Agitate the leaves gently to allow soil to settle at the bottom of the bowl.
3. Remove the leaves from the water and place them in a sieve.
4. Rinse the leaves two to three times with cold water.

Simple Lamb’s Lettuce Salad Recipe (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 4 handfuls of lamb’s lettuce
• 1 apple
• 6 hazelnuts
• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp medium-hot mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Dressing: Combine oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper in a lidded jar. Shake well until the dressing is emulsified.
2. Apple: Peel, core, and dice the apple.
3. Nuts: Roughly chop the hazelnuts.
4. Combine: In a bowl, combine the lamb’s lettuce, apple pieces, and chopped hazelnuts. Toss with the prepared dressing and serve immediately.

Lamb’s lettuce wilts quickly, so it’s best served immediately after dressing.

Additional Serving Suggestions:

• Chilled roasted tofu
• Blue cheese
• Grapes
• Chilled roasted bacon or croutons
• Chilled chopped hard-boiled eggs