My winter salad boast - help!

[goo]

I rather foolishly (and publicly) declared in a recent blog that I was going to eat a salad on my birthday that I had grown myself. My birthday is on December 15th, we don't have a green house and we're even a bit short on window sill space.

So far I think I can manage raddichio, spinach, maybe japanese mustards, flat leaf parsley fresh and red onions and beetroot from storage, but it's distinctly missing the juicy stuff I like in salads - tomatoes and cucmber.

I'm prepared to work with very generous definitions of salad, any suggestions please?

[Shutsumon]

What about growing some mini tomatoes on your windowsill? Odsox posted a thread about year round tomatoes back in January.

*Goes and finds it* http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... 12&t=12704

There are also minature sweet pepper plants that might be doable on a windowsill as well.

Can't really help with the Cucumbers.

edit - and awesome - I just noticed you're from Staffordshire as well. :-D

[Jandra]

Last year was the first year that I have sown leafy greens for winter. I was very pleased with the results, but I have a poly tunnel so you would have to improvise a bit.

What I would do if I were you, is the following. Early September sow some suitable winter lettuce (I used Brun d'Hiver), rocket and perhaps mizuna or something like that. Sow some directly into the soil, some in sizable pots.
If you have a cold frame that would be perfect, but you can also sow them on a sheltered spot in your garden which you can cover with poly tunnel plastic or horticultural fleece. The seeds will germinate and grow some before it gets too cold for them to grow much more. Depending on whether we have a mild autumn, the directly sown greens might be sizeable enough for a salad before it gets too cold. Just leave them in (unless you have plenty) and cover when it gets frosty.

By the end of November you could take the greens you have sown in pots inside and put them in a windowsill. They should start growing with the increase in temperature and give you some greens to eat on your birthday.

Good luck!
Jandra

[Odsox]

Don't forget potato salad, still time to get a few spuds in if you haven't already.
If you do grow some don't forget to pot up some mint to go with it.

[goo]

Thanks for ideas folks I can't believe I didn't even think of a spud salad!

I've just had a quick glance at the all year tomato thread, it looks good. I had thought I might try "sun drying" some tomatoes in the rayburn, but have never done this before so any tips on that also welcome.

Thanks again all.

Shutsumon, 'Hello me duck!'