Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Iceberg Lettuce

A huge Iceberg Lettuce

I am preparing a garden bed which has been used to grow tomatoes over the past months for a planting of salad greens. Always in a warm climate the best lettuce grow during the winter months and are perfect at the time of year you don't feel like eating salad, so I am watching the weather forecast for some days when the temperature is not likely to reach 30C. Lettuce seed exposed to heat above 30C germinate poorly and if you grow them in a tray and plant them out ,the shock of transplanting makes them bolt or taste bitter. I have heard that by moistening the seed and placing them in the fridge for a few days improves germination, so I will give that a go.
The much maligned and unfashionable Iceberg lettuce is the variety I want to grow. It needs a bit of space around it to grow well and form a big heart. What I like about it is that it can be used in cooked dishes as well as salads. Braised lettuce, Chow Sahng Choy, which is stir fried lettuce with ginger, garlic and soy sauce is a good side dish for an Asian style meal, and the popular San Choy Bow is a meal in itself whether made with mince or tofu and mushrooms.
San Choy Bow

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