What Is Dutch Corn Salad (Mâche)?

Dutch corn salad, known as mâche or lamb's lettuce, is a distinctive leafy green with roots in European gardening traditions. This tender, mild-flavored vegetable has earned its place in kitchens and gardens across the continent for its subtle, slightly sweet taste and silky texture. If you're seeking a sophisticated green to cultivate this season, Dutch mâche is a wonderful option that delivers consistent harvests of fresh, nutrient-rich leaves.

Ideal Growing Conditions

Mâche flourishes in cool-season gardens and appreciates partial shade when temperatures climb. Sow seeds directly into nutrient-rich, well-draining soil, spacing them roughly 6 inches apart. This robust green demonstrates impressive cold tolerance, making it perfect for spring and autumn growing cycles. Keep soil evenly moist without becoming soggy, and germination typically occurs within 7 to 10 days.

What makes mâche particularly valuable is its exceptional hardiness. It withstands light frosts and snow with ease, allowing you to extend your harvest window deep into winter across most growing zones. This resilience makes it ideal for gardeners who crave fresh greens when most other vegetables have finished for the season.

Harvesting and Culinary Uses

Begin picking outer leaves once plants reach 3 to 4 inches in height, or allow them to mature fully for a complete head harvest. These delicate leaves shine in fresh salads paired with light vinaigrettes and complementary dressings. Mâche also elevates soups, blended drinks, and plated presentations with its refined appearance.

Keep harvested mâche refrigerated in a sealed plastic bag for up to two weeks. Maintaining cool temperatures and slight moisture preserves its tender texture and fresh character.

The Benefits of Home-Grown Mâche

Cultivating your own mâche provides access to a premium green that commands high prices at specialty markets. It demands minimal maintenance, tolerates cold climates, and produces generously with straightforward care. From seasoned gardeners to beginners, mâche represents a satisfying and practical addition to any vegetable patch.

• Valerianella locusta (aka Corn Salad) is a small annual plant that is eaten as a leaf vegetable. It has a characteristic nutty flavor, dark green color, and soft texture, and is popularly served as salad greens.  //Wikipedia
  
  
• Corn Salad has a delicate flavor, similar to a butterhead lettuce. It is quite hardy and requires very little care while remaining practically free of pests & disease. Corn salad is also known for growing vigorously in almost any soil! 
  
  
• We think Corn Salad tastes best right out of the garden with a light drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Once you try this cold-hardy green, you'll be sure to make it a staple in your fall/winter gardens every year.

• Day to Maturity | only 40 days