One of the great delights of the spring garden is growing salad greens. They are easy to grow, and you won’t have to wait long for results.

Now is the perfect time to sow seeds of cool season varieties like lettuce, kale, and Asian greens that thrive in cool soil and tolerate light frost. Wait until the weather warms up to plant amaranth, which is a warm season leafy green.

Growing Salad Greens

Some seed companies combine seeds for you in their mesclun mixes to make it convenient. My packet, called Asian Baby Leaf gourmet salad mix, contains seeds of komatsuna, mizuna, mustard, rocket, totsoi, and Chinese cabbage. Other mesclun mixes may contain other combinations of lettuce, spinach, kale, and beets. Choose combinations you like.

The trick is to not overplant. How much salad will you be eating in about 30 days? A row or two may be all you need. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil, lightly cover, and then keep moist until the seeds sprout in a week or two.

When the plants are six inches tall, cut with scissors an inch above the soil. The greens will regrow for successive harvests. Some varieties like Romaine or butterhead lettuce can be left to grow to their mature size. Thin these seedlings to 6 inches apart and let grow to harvest size. Make successive sowings weekly to ensure that you have fresh greens all summer long.

Homemade Salad Dressing Recipe

What will you do with all of these glorious gourmet salad greens? It’s just as easy to make your own salad dressing as it is to grow your own salads. In fact, why would you want to put some store-bought concoction of soybean oil, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate, and xanthan gum on your precious harvest?

Here is a quick recipe for a creamy dressing. I’ve already made three batches this season. We’re eating a lot of salads these days.

Creamy Yogurt Green Goddess Dressing

Makes 1 cup

1 cup Greek style yogurt
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup fresh flat leafed Italian parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

Mix all ingredients and serve over fresh salad greens. It’s also great as a sauce served over mixed raw vegetables, meat, and greens in a half-pita.