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Mesclun Primer

© Susan Ward

Mesclun is the name for mixes of tender young lettuces and other greens.

In Provencal France, where mesclun originated,the tradition calls for chervil, arugula, lettuce and endive in precise proportions. The imported versions tend to follow a much looser definition, including greens such as mustards, cresses and parsley as well as wild greens and all kinds of lettuce. The original idea was to make a salad that touches upon every taste and texture sensation: bitter, sweet, tangy, crunchy and silky. Whether or not you adhere to this formula, mesclun is a nutritional superstar and you can grow it anywhere. Really. Linden Staciokas, an Alaskan gardener, reports that she starts a pot of mesclun in early February in Fairbanks! (The rest of her article, "Garden Greens Can Be Customized to Taste", can be found at http://www.newsminer.com/heartland/hland... ).

Linden was my inspiration to start several pots of mesclun in my kitchen, where they get the light they need and give me something green to nurture during the last depressing weeks of winter. Mesclun germinates at a meager 40 to 50 degrees F. and sprouts within a week. Any sunny windowsill will serve and if you live somewhere mild, you can even start it outside in March or April (assuming you can protect it from rain and slugs).

The National Garden Bureau has an outstanding article covering every aspect of selecting and growing mesclun at http://www.ngb.org/index.html . From this home page, click on the 'Year of' icon to go to the page listing their article "1997: Year of the Mesclun".

I ordered my seed from Stokes at http://www.stokeseeds.com/ choosing one of their mild mixes. (The two basic types of mesclun are mild and piquant, which often include more peppery greens.) Unfortunately, although you can order from Stokes online, they don't have their catalogue on site yet, so unless you have their catalogue already you'll have to go elsewhere.

If you want to explore mesclun seed online, the best web sources I've found are:

West Coast Seeds at http://www.westcoastseeds.com/index3.cfm ; although you have to look under the heading 'Salad Greens' for mesclun, this site has a searchable database, an online catalogue with a variety of choices and secure server ordering.

Saltspring Seeds at http://www.saltspring.com/ssseeds/catalo... which offers an outstanding selection of entirely organic (untreated) seeds. The varieties of lettuces offered, for instance, have to be seen to be believed. (They don't have any mixes called mesclun, but they do have lettuce blend.) You won't be able to order online from this company but if you like what you see, you can print their order form and mail it in.