Kem Ormond’s vegetable garden: Winter lettuce varieties to plant now for soups and salads

Miner's lettuce can be an unsung hero in your garden.

Kem Ormond is a features writer for The Country. She’s also a keen gardener. This week, she’s giving the humble lettuce some praise.

Well, the nights are getting darker, shorter, and colder, and it isn’t even classed as winter yet!

Although closing in and counting, next month will be the shortest day.

It’s time to think of a hot steaming bowl of soup and some crunchy homemade bread.

This time last year, I wrote about winter lettuces, as they never receive the praise they deserve, so I am back on the lettuce bandwagon.

Have you ever thought of indulging in a bowl of lettuce soup?

I am quite sure there will be a few screwed-up noses, but if you have never tried it, be brave and give it a go; you may get a real surprise.

Lettuce soup is part of French and Chinese cuisine.

Of course, while it may be called lettuce soup, it often has the addition of such vegetables as onions, garlic, coriander, and potatoes, although the main ingredient is lettuce leaves.

Croutons are also a terrific addition, adding a touch of crunch, as is a splash of olive oil and a dollop of sour cream.

The Polish, Romanian and Slovak communities have been cooking lettuce soup for years, sometimes with the addition of pork, of course.

Lettuce soup can also be served cool in summer as a very refreshing appetiser.

While I don’t have my own recipe, there are plenty of tasty ones that you will find online, and I have often used them when I have had an overabundance of lettuce.

A lot of you have probably already planted your winter vegetable crops, such as broad beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, garlic, kale, silver beet, and spinach.

I have just planted some more spring onion seedlings, and I have even planted a few winter lettuces.

Now, a lot of people think of lettuces as a summer crop, but there are some that do fine being grown in winter.

Some of the hardy winter lettuce varieties are Cos, Tom Thumb, Little Gem, Lamb’s Ear lettuce, and Corn Salad.

Then there are the loose-leaf varieties, such as oak leaf green and red, and mesclun winter greens.

There’s also a great variety called Imperial Triumph that is cold-tolerant, which is great for down south.

And please don’t forget miner’s lettuce, this is an absolute treasure come winter and as the leaves are what I call a little bit more meaty than other lettuces, perfect for lettuce soup.

Winter is when the ground gets cold, and slugs and snails are after something rather tasty to eat, so keep an eye out for these cheeky critters and remember if it is particularly cold where you live, your lettuces will enjoy being covered by a cloche or a cold frame.

They also enjoy being snuggled up with a bit of pea straw or any dried plant material left over from summer.

You may even have some wool lying in the shearing shed that you can use as well.

So, while we all think of winter being the time for casseroles and comfort food, soup can be an economical change on a Sunday night with lovely homemade bread.

I am on a roll at the moment with my breadmaking, and it is rather satisfying.

So, why not give the humble lettuce a shot in the pot!

Garden update: My potted garlic is up and growing well, so I will keep you in the loop to see if I can beat the garlic rust this year.