In The Garden: "Cut & Come Again" Container Lettuce

The older I get, the more appreciative I am of small simple pleasures. Take lettuce for instance - while I am a nutritionist and have always had a love for all things green and good for you, I never thought that I would be getting so giddy over a "cut-and-come again" salad! It may be because my container salad garden produced the best lettuce, I have seriously ever tasted. Or maybe it's the process of growing my own food and seeing the results? Regardless of the why, I am relishing in it....

This huge bowl of fresh beautiful greens came from planting only three 4-inch transplant pots that had a variety of organic loose-leaf lettuces.

All you need are a couple of 6 to 12 inch pots (depending on how much you want to plant), some organic potting soil that is mixed with compost and organic time-release fertilizer (optional). The pots need to have good drainage so the roots don't get too soggy, full sun is best and water generously. The benefits of growing lettuce in containers are easy access, ability to be grown in small spaces and you can control weeds and pests more easily. They can even be grown indoors too! Once established (about 4 inches high),  cut them back about 1 inch from the roots and enjoy! They will come up again and again!

Loose-leaf varieties such as arugula will come back as well as varieties of butterhead lettuce (above). 

My greens were so pungent and flavorful, I did not want to overwhelm them with too much salad dressing. So I just squeezed lemon over the top, sprinkled sea salt and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. It was so good, even my raised on "meat and potatoes" husband had three helpings!