Meet Salad Savor Mix

Meet Salad Savor--a delightful spring, summer, and fall greens mix packed in a gorgeous illustration by Melissa Garden. Though each of the greens can be mixed up and eaten together, Melissa's artwork beautifully displays the unique character of each of the components in this mix, allowing us to appreciate what each has to offer.

Creating a new mix can take at least a couple of years. In 2013, we performed several trials of various greens and lettuces to create different mixes. One of our goals was to create an appealing multi-use lettuce-less greens mix that could be grown in spring, summer, and fall, and used as a salad enhancer, a salad mix on its own, or a sauté-mix. We formulated this mild, lettuce-less mix from the results of that trial out of the the best components of the 35 varieties we grew, and grew it in 2014 in spring, summer, and fall to test out proportions and finalized the "recipe." We are continuing to work on other mixes to add to our catalog, stay tuned!

As the pun suggests-there is more than one way to savor this mix. Use it to save a lettuce salad by adding flavor in spring when there are hardly any vegetables coming from the garden; or create a savory salad with this mix alone, dressed simply with a nice vinaigrette.

The components include:

Arugula This well known green is always amazing in greens mixes. It adds crisp earthy flavor that is welcome any time of year.

Yukina Savoy is an Asian green similar to Tatsoi but with an upright habit, making it easier to cut as a baby leaf. Yukina Savoy is mild, and deep green, with darling spoon-shaped leaves. It adds a mild flavor and rich sweetness.

Tokyo Bekana Is an open, leafy green with an unmatched color. The lime hue makes all the colors of this mix pop. Its mild and delicate, excellent as a baby leaf.

Red-Streaks Mizuna is a feathery, delicate red mustard. It is the spiciest component in this mix, but pleasantly so! The deep red color deepens as the plant matures, and in cold weather. The color and texture this green adds is unmatched.

Baby Bok Choy adds substance with it's succulent green leaves and crisp stems. This sweet and mild Asian green serves as the back drop to all the colors and flavors in this mix.

To grow this mix in spring, summer or fall: Sow outdoors as soon as soil can be worked in spring until 3 weeks before first fall frost. Sow in successions at 3-week intervals for a continued harvest.

For baby leaves: Space seeds 1-2" apart and harvest when 3-4" high, about an inch above the soil. Cut and come again for 2-3 harvests.

For mature leaves: Space seeds 1-2" apart and then when 2" high. (Be sure to eat the thinnings!) Thin to 6" apart and harvest entire plants at the base. Use as a sauté mix.