Eats Shoots, Leaves & Berries

There’s nothing like the feeling of success when the first tiny shoots of my vegetable garden break through the soil. Considering the late arrival of spring here in the frozen north, I consider it something of a miracle that the plants come up at all. Usually those first shoots are found in my row of garden lettuce varieties and are the first veggies my family picks and enjoys.

I can’t say I’ve always enjoyed garden lettuce. Once upon a time, I thought leaf lettuce was a bitter, limp cousin to the crisp heads found in the grocery store. Now that I’ve grown up a bit along with my palate, I love the tastier, more colorful organically grown leaf lettuce that costs dearly in those clear plastic clamshell containers.

Yup, it is the lettuce that is designed to make you poor. Instead of explaining how much I spent at the store – yet again – I’ve taken to the idea of growing my own leaf lettuce. You can, too, perhaps in a container garden just outside your kitchen door.

“Lettuce is easy,” says Michelle LeMasurier of Superior’s Lake Superior Garden Center. “All you need is a container that will hold 10 inches of soil.”

She suggests eye-catching seed mixes featuring arugula and multicolored greens, which will give you a lovely container garden (no weeding) and a palate-pleasing salad.

“Add a small trellis and something climbing in the center of your container,” Michelle suggests. “More and more people are container gardening.”

Depending on the variety you choose, plan on harvesting your lettuce 40 to 60 days after planting.

Of course, while you cultivate and enjoy your salad greens, you can also enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor. Now is a great time to head out to the pick-your-own berry farms. (For farms near you, check this issue’s supplements at www.lakesuperior.com, along with additional berry recipes from some farms.)

In Bayfield, you can harvest strawberries beginning in late June through mid-July.

“Raspberries are available starting in early July through mid-August,” says Cari Obst, executive director of the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau. “And you can pick your own blueberries and blackberries in August.”

Take a picnic lunch and make berry-picking part of a gorgeous day in Bayfield.

Berries make a terrific addition to any salad. Or make a fun dessert to balance the wholesomeness of your salad with something truly delicious. Either way, enjoy the deliciousness of our precious short growing season!

Lake Superior Regional Berry Farms