Grow Your Own: Four Ways to Grow Fresh Lettuce and Greens in Your Backyard

Here are some of our favorite recipes to make from the bounty of greens we grow in our garden each year!

 

 

Nothing says summer like enjoying a fresh salad full of ingredients grown in your garden. However, there are also so many other fun ways to enjoy both the taste and nutrient-packed punch that comes with growing your own fresh greens. Here’s a quick run-through on growing fresh lettuce and some of our favorite ways to enjoy fresh greens grown in our garden. 

 

How Fast Does Lettuce Grow? 

Lettuce is a cool-season veggie, meaning its optimal soil temperature is between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. If you plan on growing fresh lettuce outdoors, you can have a continual harvest from mid-spring until early summer by sowing new seeds every 10 to 21 days from mid-spring until mid-summer and then again in the fall here in Pennsylvania. With a little bit of planning and set-up, you can grow microgreens and other fresh lettuce indoors 365 days a year! 

Baby greens and microgreens will go from seed to sandwich or salad bowl in two to four weeks. Larger crops like romaine lettuce take anywhere from 75 to 85 days before it is ready to harvest, and crisphead lettuce (like iceberg) takes 70 to 100 days. 

 

4 Ways to Enjoy Fresh Greens That Aren’t Salad

 

Pair Spinach and Eggs

Spinach and eggs go together like peanut butter and jelly, except they are a much healthier pairing! You can keep it simple with a quick and easy scramble, but our personal favorite use for spinach is in a frittata. They’re perfect for a fancy brunch and pair beautifully with a mixed green salad. I know we said no salads, but they’re just so tasty together!

A frittata is like an open-faced omelet or a crustless quiche. They are best when served with lots of tasty cheese and when you add a few little tasty extras like cherry tomatoes or onions. They’re perfect for one or for the whole family!

 

Lettuce Wrap Sandwiches

Lettuce wrap sandwiches are perfect for carb-conscious lunches and no-cook dinners on a hot summer night. You can make lettuce wraps with romaine or Boston lettuce, but iceberg lettuce is definitely the superior choice. You can fill lettuce wrap sandwiches with anything: traditional deli meat, chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad, grilled chicken, veggies, or you can make a classic BLT out of them. 

First, prep your lettuce leaves by washing and drying them. Lay them on a flat surface, and then add your fillings. Add sauce or spreads like guacamole first, then meat or protein, cheese, and then finish with any additional toppings you desire. The last step is to wrap or roll your lettuce wrap. 

 

Swiss Chard & Walnut Pesto 

We know that classic pesto is all about basil, pine nuts, and garlic, but what’s a gardener to do when they have a pile of Swiss Chard, and they’re not sure what to do with it? Make pesto, we say! 

Pesto is really easy to whip up, and you can serve it over pasta, use it as a sandwich spread, a garnish, a pizza topping, or even a condiment to help kick your avocado toast up a notch. All you need is chard with the stems removed, walnuts, parsley, grated parmesan cheese, oil, salt, pepper, and a food processor. So easy, so delicious.

 

Microgreens on a Green Goddess Sandwich

Lettuce microgreens are so easy to grow it should almost be illegal. It only takes a couple of weeks until they are ready to harvest and they are packed with flavor and have lots of nutrient rich content. You can mix them into salads, juice them, add them to stir-fries or smoothies, or our personal favorite is using them on yummy, full-stack sandwiches like this Green Goddess Sandwich. 

To create the Green Goddess spread for the sandwich, blend mayonnaise, tarragon, plain greek yogurt, two tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. In the middle of the sandwich, add sliced avocado, cucumber, and a leaf of Boston lettuce. Next comes fresh mozzarella sliced about a ¼ inch thick and then a serious stack of microgreens.

 

If you’re ready to grow some fantastic greens for delicious eating all summer long, visit us at Primex Garden Center. We have all the seeds and supplies you need!