Mesclun is the French word for “mixture.” Mesclun is a mix of tender, young salad green leaves. Mesclun mixes usually include a variety of lettuces and European and Asian salad greens that grow under similar conditions, have similar rates of maturity, and taste good together. Greens can be mixed by season, by flavor, by color
Meyer lemon The Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and a tangerine. Its sweet taste—lemon with a hint of its parent tangerine–has made it a favorite of cooks and gourmets. In fact, some chefs call the Meyer “the gourmet lemon.” Meyers are more round and have a softer, more smooth rind than the
Peppers are tropical plants and can be temperamental–especially the further they grow away from the tropics. They demand warm temperatures—not too cool and not too hot, organically rich soil, and even soil moisture—not too little and not too much. Give peppers these optimal conditions and they will produce until the first frost in autumn. Common
Flavor is probably the best reason for selecting a tomato for kitchen garden growing. Once you have identified your favorite tomato (or tomatoes), the memory of that fruit’s flavor will easily get you started in spring and keep you going until harvest year after year. Getting to know new tomatoes and their tastes will bring
Spearmint Mint can be used both in sweet and savory dishes. Add mint to new potatoes or to a garlic and cream cheese dip. Mix mint with chocolate cakes or bake with raisins and currants in pastry. Mints are an excellent addition to sauces, syrups, vinegars, and teas. There are more than 2,000 varieties of
Tisane is a tea like drink made by steeping a single herb or a mixture of several herbs in boiling water. Flowers and spices can be added. Tisane is the French term for a restorative herbal tea. Popular tisanes include chamomile, scented geranium, linden, jasmine, lemon verbena, hibiscus, and rose hip. The peppermint you use
Apple mint Spearmint, peppermint, pineapple mint, orange bergamot, and apple mint: these are just a few of the mints used in cooking. The peak season for fresh mints is summer, but many mints will grow indoors year-round in a bright window. And dried mint leaves can be used when fresh mint is not available. Mints
Bring herbs growing in containers indoors for winter; just set them in a window with plenty of natural light. Culinary herbs that grow well in containers include basil, chives, cilantro, dill, common fennel, garlic, lemon balm, mint, oregano and marjoram, parsley, rosemary, sage, French tarragon, and thyme. Herbs require well-drained soil, so use a good
Swiss chard is one of Nature’s superfoods–and easy to prepare. Some vegetables and fruits you grow in your garden are higher in nutritional value and are better at improving your health than others—these have been dubbed superfoods. Superfoods are easy to grow. Any beginning gardener can grow superfoods. These crops are high in nutritional value
Compost mulch Here are commonly used organic and inorganic mulches for vegetable gardens (for the benefits of mulching see : Organic mulches: • Compost. Decomposed and partially decomposed organic materials. Compost is both a mulch and soil conditioner. A 2- to 3-inch layer of compost will control weeds though not prevent weed growth. Incorporate compost
