Lamb's Lettuce 140/3

by Franchi

*Heritage variety*

L22 - Corn salad, mache or Lambs Tongue. Valeriana d'Olanda: a Dutch variety with larger leaves than the Cambrai. If the Cambrai is restaurant quality, then this is garden quality, which is fine. The larger, fatter leaf gives it a meatier bite, but the colour is a less attractive lighter green than the Cambrai. There is also a restaurant quality F1 version of this variety.

Don't waste your money on pricey imported lambs lettuce as it's easy to grow and quite quick from ground to plate. It can be sown from March to April and then again from July to the end of October, which is its main season. Many people are amazed that you can sow it so late in the year, but this is its time, so let nature take its course and you'll be eating this wonderful leaf in the autumn and winter, especially if you stagger the sowing. It won't grow back after you've picked it, so pull the whole bunch of leaves up, cut the small root off, wash, dress and serve. Always plant a lot of this wonderful leaf, as salad just made with lambs lettuce is lovely.

Sow 1 cm deep, water occasionally, especially at first, and nature will do the rest. It doesn't need full sun or feeding and pests pretty much leave it alone.

Approximate seeds quantity: @2200
Sow: from May to end of October
Harvest: end of December
Suitable for Winter Cultivation