SALADS THE SECOND COMING

Salad leaves, in all their wonderful and eccentric variety, are more often associated with the benign months of summer. But if you’re after a truly palate-blowing range of tastes and textures you’d be better off looking towards the colder half of the year.

Winter salads may not be as frequently grown as their fairweather counterparts, but they are undoubtedly more interesting. Soft and smooth winter lettuces, corn salad and winter purslane are joined by a slew of spicy staples such as rocket, mizuna and mustards. Together they make for a beautifully balanced blend of flavours, heat levels and textures that will definitely liven up winter mealtimes.

WHEN TO SOW

The journey begins in late summer