Category Archives: Salad

World Garden November Salad

14th November 2024:  Although the World Garden I’ve created at the Væres Venner Community Garden in Trondheim is mostly perennials, I fill up gaps with some annuals and biennials and some of them continue right up to the first frosts when they become mush. Most of next week is forecast to be sub-zero day and night, so this was the last chance to harvest. See below the pictures for the ingredients list.
All the following were used in the salad and all were harvested in the World Garden!
Perennials:
Rumex acetosa subsp vinealis (wine sorrel / vinsyre)
Rumex acetosa “Abundance” (sorrel / engsyre)
Taraxacum tortilobum (Moss-leaved Dandelion / mosebladet løvetann)
Allium sativum (garlic / hvitløk)
Cirsium canum (Queen Anne’s thistle / Dronning Annes tistel); tubers
Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke / jordskokk); tubers
Annuals/Biennial:
Anthriscus cerefolium (chervil / hagekjørvel)
Petroselinum crispum (parsley / persille)
Fedia cornucopiae (horn of plenty)
Glebionis coronaria (chopsuey greens / kronkrage
Daucus carota (carrot / gulrot)
Brassica rapa “Målselvnepe” (turnip / nepe)
Flowers:
Calendula officinalis (pot marigold / ringblomst)
Malva moschata “Alba” (musk mallow / moskuskattost)
Fedia cornucopiae (horn of plenty)
Raphanus sativus (radish / reddik)

78th Birthday Party Salad

In connection with my daughter Hazel’s birthday yesterday, she wanted me to make a salad for her and her friends she’d invited for dinner, so no birthday cake, it was a birthday salad with candle, and 78 ingredients was the plan! 78? Well, it was a double celebration as this week was also 40 years since the titles to my house were signed over to us by the previous owner Ragnhild Austvik. I told Hazel it would be a 78th birthday party and didn’t reveal all until we were at the dinner table! She didn’t guess why, believing I’d miscalculated as the combined age with her brother (his birthday is on Monday) would be 79, although on her birthday it was still 78, so it could have been that! So, here’s the over-the-top flowery salad I put together with ingredients list below the pictures (yes, I miscalculated and it turned out to be more than 78…40 more in fact ;)) 

Ingredients:
FLOWERS
1-3. Dahlia; Georginer (3 varieties)
4-6. Begonia (3 var.)
7. Malva alcea (hollyhock mallow; rosekattost)
8. Althaea officinalis (marshmallow; legestokkrose)
9-11. Raphanus sativus (rasish; reddik) (3 var.)
12. Apium graveolens (celery; seller)
13. Spilanthes oleracea (toothache plant; tannpineplante)
14-17. Lycopersicon esculentus (tomato; tomat) (4 varieties: Tante Cis, Linda Sibirsk, Sjokolade Plummer and German Pink)
18. Oxalis triangularis “Rubra”
19. Impatiens glandulifera (Himalayan balsam; kjempespringfrø)
20. Pelargonium
21. Brassica nigra (black mustard; svart sennep)
22-26. Hemerocallis (day lily; daglilje) (4 varieties / species)
27-28. Allium wallichii (Sherpa onion; Sherpaløk) (2 var.)
29. Sedum
30-32. Hosta (3 var.)
33. Calendula officinalis (marigold; ringblomst)
34. Fedia cornucopiae (African valerian)
35. Fuchsia magellanica
36. Diplotaxis tenuifolia (perennial rocket; flerårig rucola)
37. Oenothera biennis (evening primrose; nattlys)
38-39. Chrysanthemum coronarium (shungiku; kronkrage) (2 var.)
40-41. Mentha sp. (2 var.)
42-45. Allium schoenoprasum (chives; gressløk) (4 var.)
46. Tulbaghia violacea (society garlic)
47. Allium montanostepposum
48. Allium thunbergii
49. Allium cernuum x stellatum “Hammer”
50. Allium fistulosum “Salatniy” (Welsh onion; pipeløk)
51. Allium spirale
52. Allium nutans x senescens
53. Allium suaveolens
54. Allium cyaneum
55. Allium moschatum
56. Allium lusitanicum (German garlic; kantløk)
57. Allium boreale (Arctic chives; sibirgressløk)
58. Taraxacum officinale (dandelion; løvetann)
LEAVES
59. Aegopodium officinale (dandelion; løvetann)
60. Allium x cornutum (St. John’s onion; Johannesløk)
61-62. Allium thunbergia agg. (2 var.)
63. Allium schoenoprasum
64. Allium tuberosum (Chinese chives; kinagressløk)
65. Allium spirale
66. Allium fistulosum “Mysusæter” (roof onion; takløk)
67. Allium nutans x senescens
68. Allium schoenoprasum ssp. sibiricum (Japanese chives; Japangressløk)
69. Allium x proliferum (walking onion; luftløk)
70. Allium fistulosum x pskemense (Wietse’s onion; Wietsesløk)
71. Allium lusitanicum (German garlic; kantløk)
72. Allium hookeri var muliense (yellow Hooker’s onion; Gul Hookersløk)
73. Gynostemma pentaphyllum (sweet tea vine)
74-76. Brassica oleracea (perennial kale; flerårige kål) (3 var.)
77. Oxalis tuberosa (oca; oka)
78. Spilanthes oleracea (toothache plant; tannpineplante)
79. Coriandrum sativum (coriander; coriander)
80. Artemisia dracunculus sativa “German” (German tarragon; tysk estragon)
81. Anethum graveolens (dill)
82. Aegopodium podograria (ground elder; skvallerkål)
83. Stellaria media (chickweed;
84. Lactuca sativa (lettuce; salat)
85-88. Apium graveolens (celery; selleri) (4 var)
89. Oxalis sp.
90. Vitis vinifera (grape vine; drue)
91-94. Pisum sativum (pea; ert) (4 var.)
95. Petroselinum sativum (parsley; persille)
96-97. Cucumis sativus (cucumber; agurk) (2 varieties: Passandra and Epleagurk)
98-99. Brassica rapa (turnip ; nepe) (2 var.)
100. Plectranthus amboinicus (Cuban oregano)
101. Basella rubra
102. Oenanthe javanica (seri)
103. Angelica archangelica “Vossakvann” (Garden angelica; Vossakvann)
104. Brassica oleracea “Ragged Jack kale” (kale; grønnkål)
105. Campanula rapunculoides (creeping bellflower; ugressklokke)
106. Malva moschata (musk mallow; moskuskattost)
107. Sanguisorba minor (salad burnet; pimpernel)
108. Campanula punctata
109. Rumex patientia (patience dock; hagesyre)
110. Rumex scutatus (French sorrel; Fransksyre)
111. Sonchus oleraceus (common sow thistle; haredylle)
112. Nasturtium officinale (watercress; grønn engelskkarse)
113-114. Mentha sp. (mint; mynte)
115. Ribes divaricatum (Worcesterberry; Worcesterbær)
116. Rubus idaeus (raspberry; bringebær)
117. Prunus domestica “Sviskeplomme” (plum; plomme)
118. Ficus carica “Bornholm” (fig; fiken)

A conventional salad!

I didn’t know if I could make a salad just with ingredients you can buy in the supermarket (but all home grown of course!), but last week I DID IT when I had a family visit!!
The picture of me looking cool and conventional with my favourite grandson Johannes was taken by favourite son Robin (yes, I have one of each)

RINGVE OPEN DAY 2024

There were some 1,500 people who came along to Sunday’s Open Day at the Ringve Botanical Garden and as usual KVANN Trøndelag (Norwegian Seed Savers; kvann.no) had a stand where a wide selection of perennial vegetables could be bought and a 130 variety salad could be sampled, mostly perennials! It was non-stop for us 3 on the stand from the start at 11 am and many plants found new homes in the course of the day. Many members of KVANN joined us in the course of the day.
Thanks to Meg and Elizabeth for helping on the stand once again! 

I’d previously agreed to lead a group around the Onion Garden Chicago from the Regionalt Nytteveksttreff i Trondheim which was organised that weekend. I’d never seen so many people in the onion garden before as there was also a large group of people, many with insect nets, on a Humlevandring (walk around the garden learning about bumble bees organised by La Humla Suse). It turned out that the Alliums were attracting the largest concentrations and number of species, so we had to events together in the garden! FUN!!
Nyttevekst Treff

Pot luck salad

On Sunday 26th May we organized a potluck party in Væres Venners Community Garden in Trondheim for the first time! It was a fantastically successful event in glorious summer weather close to 30C (and a record for May) and with 40 participants, both members of the community garden (and supporters) and KVANN Trøndelag members. The participants brought a large variety of food dishes as we had hoped! The highlight was Anders (and Barbro) Nordrum’s introductory lecture on food preparedness!
Thanks to everyone, we will be doing this again!
My contribution was naturally a salad and I had to apologise as there were only 50 plants in it ;)
The white flowers: ramsons (ramsløk), sweet cicely (Spansk kjørvel), Allium zebdanense and sea kale (strandkål).
General pictures by Dan Smith! 




Snow onion salad

After yesterday’s video post about the snow onion (Allium humile) I had to make a snow onion lunchtime salad, so here it is; see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mOcQ4aUQVI
Ingredients below the pictures.



Allium humile
(snow onion; snøløk)Crambe maritima (sea kale; strandkål)
Primula veris (cowslip; marianøkleblom); 2 varieties
Allium paradoxum var paradoxum (few-flowered leek); bulbils (NB! DON’T PLANT AS IT IS VERY INVASIVE!)
Ligularia fischeri (gomchwi; Koreansk nøkketunge)
Taraxacum “Vert de Montmagny Ameliore”
Oenanthe javanica (seri)
Allium ovalifolium var. leuconervum
Allium schoenoprasum “Black Isle Blush” (chives; gressløk)
Rumex acetosa (sorrel; engsyre)
Hosta “Urui”
Allium ursinum (ramsons; ramsløk)
Myrrhis odorata (sweet cicely; Spansk kjørvel)
Hablitzia tamnoides (Caucasian spinach; stjernemelde)
Claytonia virginiana (spring beauty)
Taraxacum tortilobum (moss-leaved dandelion; mosebladet løvetann)
Anethum graveolens (dill)
Coriandrum sativum (coriander; coriander)
Allium victorialis (victory onion; seiersløk)
Begonia heracleifolia
Brassica oleracea (perennial kale; flerårig kål)
Allium sativum (garlic; hvitløk) shoots of garlic grown as a perennial.

Lunchtime 2nd May Salad

We’re experiencing a bit of a heat wave here at the moment with high pressure, clear skies and temperatures close to 20C. The growth of my perennial veg is extraodinary for the time of year. I made this salad for lunch with a little of everything I found in a 5-10 minute garden forage with a few things from the cellar and living room!
The 37 plants in the salad are listed below the pictures!

SALAD PLANT LIST
Allium paradoxum var paradoxum (few flowered leek); flower stems
Primula denticulata
Claytonia virginiana (spring beauty)
Carum carvi (caraway; karve)
Lepidium sativum “Kandahar” (cress; karse)
Coriandrum sativum (coriander; koriander)
Aegopodium podograria (ground elder; skvallerkål)
Oxalis triangularis; flowers
Primula vulgaris (primrose; kusymre); flowers
Primula elatior (oxlip; hagenøkleblom)
Allium hymenorhizum
Allium cernuum (nodding onion; prærieløk)
Allium nutans
Allium senescens
Allium victorialis (victory onion; seiersløk)
Allium ursinum (ramsons; ramsløk)
Crambe maritima (sea kale; strandkål)
Allium scorodoprsum (sand leek; bendelløk)
Daucus carota (carrot; gulrot)
Allium sativum (garlic; hvitløk)
Anethum graveolens (dill)
Campanula latifolia (giant bellflower; storklokke)
Taraxacum sp. (dandelion; løvetann)
Hablitzia tamnoides (Caucasian spinach; stjernemelde)
Cichorium intybus “Witloof” (chicory; sikori)
Scorzonera hispanica (scorzonera; scorsonnerot)
Allium schoenoprasum (chives; gressløk)
Rumex acetosa (sorrel; engsyre)
Allium carinatum “Pulchellum”
Allium angulosum
Cichorium intybus “Festive F1”
Hosta fortunei “Albopicta Aurea”
Taraxacum tortilobum (moss-leaved dandelion; mosebladet løvetann)
Allium zebdanense
Allium validum (Pacific onion; stillehavsløk)
Ligularia fischeri (gomchwi; Fischersnøkketunge)
Oxalis acetosella “Rosea” ; blomst

Gunnera-Chinese Yam salad

Delicious Gunnera-Chinese Yam salad with goldenberries (Barbadoslykt), Gunnera tinctoria, Dioscorea polystachya (Chinese yam) “Ichoimo”, carrot, turnip, various tomatoes, nodding onion (prærieløk), chicory (sikori), perennial kale (flerårig kål), Worcesterberries, celery, garlic, frozen Nasturtium flowers, Begonia flowers, ….