After many years of fussing around with those flimsy domed trays, cell packs, and jiffy pots, and expensive full spectrum/hydroponic lights, I started reading and thinking!! I save money by not using starting flats. I start all my indoor seed (tomatoes,peppers, and some annuals & veggies) by placing them in folded coffee filters (they are stronger than paper towels), moistened with a weak solution of orange pekoe tea. They are stacked on an old pie plate over the heating vent in my dining room (instant heat mat). Once they germinate and have a fair-sized root on them, I transfer them to styrofoam cups (I re-use them), and place them under lights in my basement, until time for planting out. The lights are tied to existing shelving. Initially, I used expensive ($38.00) hydroponic lights, but found that regular fluorescent tubes from Home Depot worked just as well. Bits of styrofoam packaging under the trays keep the seedlings nearer the lights initilly. To prevent damping off and other fungi, a weak solution of chamomile tea, and watering from below seems to work. I found some really good trays (I don't know what they came from) at a Goodwill store which are sturdy and do not flop around like those regular gardening trays, which I find completey useless. I do shell out for seed starting mix especially for my indoor plants because I have had infestations of aphids that killed off entire sets of tomato seedlings, so I like everything to be sterile. Every now and then, a fan is used to strengthen the seedlings and also prevent any bugs which may be lurking to infect them, but I do not keep it running constantly. Perennials and hardier annuals get the winter sowing treatment. I also use seed starter, but the cheaper Walmart stuff, and I use (and re-cycle) 2-litre pop bottles for my containers (some stolen from neighbourhood blue boxes). Margarine and yogurt tubs are good for lettuces and petunias which do not grow very tall. A few years ago I purchased a 'Root Trainer' system which works very well, but is best if you are growing 20 seedlings of any one plant, which I never do. The cells are very deep, grooved to keep the roots contained and dircted downward, comes with a sturdy tray and dome. The cells come apart so there is no stress at transplant time. I used it last night for my peppers - a nice compact little system for about $12.00 designed to be re-used. That being said, every year I yearn for a heat mat so I can start my seeds in the basement. It's much too cold up here in March & April. I also yearn for one of those small green houses, but also, we go from winter to summer so it would not really be useful. Every summer, I'm glad I resisted the temptation. In reality, seed starting is forgotten once we get those little seedlings in the ground.

I'm not so crazy about the winter hot house baby salad mixes. No flavor, just pretty. Seems the dressing is the carrier of flavor. Baby arugula at least has some 'meat' to it like some spinach varieties. I do like the idea of fig, proscuitto, parm. And a toasted nut. Not sure the rest of your menu but that would compliment just about anything. I make a ginger/sesame dressing for salad but it does not go well with some main courses following. As an app away from the table an hour before sitting is fine. Like a spring roll... A sit down salad i think should be considerate of the following meal. I've been making a warm salad of escarole, shallot, leek, celeriac, golden beet slivers...and just a bit of fresh lemon. Then anything i have in the crisper and pepitas or toasted pecans. It has been hit since before Thanksgiving. (when i added shredded brussels). Sometimes quick broiled slices of goat cheese. -pressed into some seasoned olive oil panko, seasoned side up...I have a bag of dried dates that i need to use. Might do well softened for a warm dressing with a chopped slice of bacon or procuitto pan seared with a shallot. I always have olives and feta... Boston lettuce is a nice winter salad cup or torn. Come cold February-March i often put Boston on my list. Nice and buttery. It seems to like, and stand up, to a semi-warm dressing. Just my experience years past when i loved and over-did the sesame/ginger dressing...now used often with a nut/sesame chicken crust or Asian dumplings...or a miso seared beef soup/broth. DH is chopping right now for a warm escarole salad and a French green lentil salad to top it...the main meal is a brothy tomato based soup with fridge crisper drawer 'kitchen sink' soup. Freezer finds like corn and roasted tomatoes from the garden.

That looks really good. Not had samphire. I had to look it up. Poor mans asparagus. And can be grown as a plant. Seaweed salads have been around for some time in Japanese restaurants. I always have a bag of Dulce on hand from Maine and coastal Canada. (pronounced like 'pulse'). I like it raw, in stir-fry, in seafood chowders, tuna salad. Dulce is said to be the next kale. I doubt that. I looked up the 'next big thing in foods for 2016' and not much stands out. It seems to take a while for large market growers to switch their harvest methods to produce enough to reach groceries. By that time it is so dilute and lacks the flavor of home gardens. Greenhouse grown heavily fed to grow fast enough for profit and not that fresh....like mesclun salad mix in bags. Dry lawn clippings have more flavor. At least the focus is on healthy greens and veggies. Fresh and full of flavor. Sprouted grains and beans. I've added a few new varieties to my micro green 'forest'. 7-10 days grow time. 5 5x7 trays going all winter in succession. One large 7x12 tray for a spicy mix. I'm sure that one is soon to appear in stores. Needs to be cut fresh so i'm guessing they will sell it live in clamshells. One fat cut harvest cost about 15cents home grown. The same seeds i buy in bulk i use in the garden salad bed for a larger crop.

Yes we removed the outer leaves of both cabbage and iceberg but we always thought of iceberg as being very 'tight' like cabbage and thus not dirty inside. never found dirt inside either. I also stopped buying iceberg for awhile because I heard there were 'fewer nutrients' but really it's full of fiber and it makes a good addition to other greens and I do find it kind of nicely sweet too.