Corn Salad

This cool-season green has spoon-shape leaves with a mild nutty flavor. Also called mache, it’s a gourmet salad green that fetches top dollar at the supermarket. But you can save money by growing it yourself to enjoy its mild nutty flavor right from your garden. It is sometimes called lamb’s lettuce because sheep graze it in Europe. Make successive plantings every three weeks while weather is cool to ensure a steady harvest. Plants lose their nutty flavor as they age. Use corn salad raw in salads or steam or stir-fry with olive oil and garlic. It is hardy to 5 degrees F, so harvests can extend well into fall or winter.

Pruning and Harvesting

Harvest young leaves as soon as they are edible size. Cut individual leaves with a sharp knife, or pull up the whole plant when it reaches 3-4 inches tall. Remove plants if they send up a flower stalk during hot weather.

Varieties of Corn Salad

‘Vit’ corn salad

is a versatile variety with elongated oval leaves with a hint of mint flavor.