Salad Fixin's: Spicing Up the Mundane Romaine

I’m getting ready for a mini vacation. I don’t get many and when I do I tend to focus on the cheaper stay-cations and end up doing more work in the yard than I would ever do at the museum. Doesn’t do much for my weary back and sore muscles. But not this time. This time I’m going to Palm Springs to sit by the pool and sip many cocktails and have many laughs.

We rented a house and are meeting up with old friends from Portland and LA. Our plans are simple, eat, drink, swim, sit and relax. Finally.

I decided that I should bring some food from the garden so I’ve loaded up with fresh eggs for breakfasts and then noticed that the romaine lettuce was just too perfect to leave behind. Then I realized that I also have some blue borage and some nasturtium that would make an excellent addition to the salad. So while packing and prepping the dog for a desert voyage, I took a little harvesting break. And, apparently a blogging break as well. I’m going to be soooo late!

Here’s the romaine all green and yummy looking. Followed by the borage whose flowers have already been harvested.

Romaine
Romaine lettuce

 

Borage
Blue Borage.

 

And this is the nasturtium, I have a few different varieties.

nasturtium 1
nasturtium

 

nasturtium 2
nasturtium

 

nasturtium 3
nasturtium

 

The borage has a light and nutty flavor to it and the nasturtium adds a spicy kick to any meal. You can eat the leaves and the flowers. So now I will arrive with a little something special, organic and home grown.

Feature 2
A spicy and colorful salad blend of romaine, borage and nasturtium.

Okay, I really need to get off the computer, put away the Nikon and finish packing! I’m such a slacker sometimes. Have a great week and I’ll see you when I get back.

0 Replies to “Salad Fixin's: Spicing Up the Mundane Romaine”

    1. Agreed Matt! I didn’t realize they were edible when I planted them, I just liked the flowers and leaves. Such a pleasant surprise when I learned how yummy they are! They were a hit in Palm Springs. The kids really loved the idea of eating pretty flowers.

  1. Please share your thoughts and experience regarding gophers. I have a gopher running laps from the front yard to the back and fresh tunnels every day. Thanks, Jim.

    1. Pocket gophers are all over the place in San Diego. I’ve definitely had my share of battles with them. I’ve been thinking about writing a blog with some illustrations on how to best deal with these brutes so your comment is very timely. Stay tuned for that because it’ll help you out greatly!

      In short, the only way to really rid yourself of them is to set traps. Sticking a hose in their hole will only serve to waste water and will hardly ever result in a dead gopher. Gas bombs are ineffective as well because they simply move away from the gas cloud. Cornmeal can be sprinkled into the lawn and watered deeply. This fertilizes the yard and they hate the taste of it. But you have to do it every month and it can get costly.

      They also sell little windmills that create a thumping vibration when the spin that keeps the gophers away. Provided it’s windy out.

      The best way is to dig down into their main tunnel and set a trap. You should tie a string to the trap and stake it on the surface so they don’t crawl away with your trap and then you’ll never know if you got them or not. Leave the hole open so light gets in. This makes them nuts because they’re OCD about their tunnels and they’ll come running to plug the breach. When they do SNAP!

      Once you kill these solitary diggers, the home should remain vacant for months to years. Just keep a watchful eye out for new mounds and repeat the process.

      Keep an eye out for a more detailed post coming soon!

  2. Not to sound like I lack basic intelligent, but do you have someone to watch the chickens while you are gone? Or are they self-sufficient in that regard?

    1. For a few days they can watch themselves. I hide little stashes of food all around their run underneath the straw. This kept them busy for 4 days. The water lasts for months before I need to refill it. They can come and go out of the coop whenever. I have a simple yet effective system going over here. Piper did get her butt kicked a lot without me to ref for her, but I’m taking steps now to fix that…

        1. I’m so glad to hear that! I love helping people get more excited about gardening and raising chickens. If you ever have any questions, just holler and I’ll come running.

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