April 2025: Freckle Romaine Lettuce

This month’s seed kit features Freckle Romaine Lettuce. To support our environment, some seed kit materials are now available digitally. Follow the link to download a fillable planting log to print from home! 

Freckle Romaine Lettuce

Add a splash to your salad with this attractive variety of romaine lettuce! The medium-green leaves have an upright growth habit and a mildly sweet flavor. The red “freckles” add color and pizazz to your plate!

Planting Instructions

Culture: Choose a sunny location with loose, rich soil. In the warmest areas, a little afternoon shade is welcome. Sow about 1/8 inch deep in rows spaced 1–2 feet apart. Thin plants to about 10 inches apart after plants develop second leaves. 

Water: Keep soil moist, but not saturated, until seedlings emerge in 5-10 days. Thereafter, provide even moisture regularly to prevent over-drying of soil. 

Harvest: Reaches maturity in 50–70 days and can be used as either baby or full-size lettuce. The plant is best harvested in the cool of the morning. Either cut the entire head just above the soil or harvest individual leaves as needed. 

Culinary Tips: Wash and use in salads or on sandwiches. 

More About Freckle Romaine Lettuce

Freckle Romaine is a variety of lettuce with elongated green leaves flecked with red speckles that add a playful pattern to your plate. The crisp inner leaves are often sold as Romaine “hearts” in stores and are commonly used in Caesar salads, but Romaine is a versatile leafy green that can also handle being grilled or sauteed. Harvesting as a baby leaf will give you more tender, less bitter-tasting lettuce.

Named after Rome, where it gained popularity across Europe, Romaine lettuce has been cultivated since ancient times, as evidenced by its depiction in Egyptian hieroglyphics. Celebrated as the food of the fertility god Min, ancient Egyptians used the oils from its flower buds for both cooking and medicinal purposes. Romaine is also known as "Cos," a name that may be linked to the Greek island of Kos or derived from the Arabic word for "lettuce".

Romaine Lettuce with Garlic Oyster Sauce

 Serves: 4    Prep time: 5 minutes   Cook Time: 10 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of romaine lettuce, cleaned  
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced  
• 1 tbsp. of peanut or vegetable oil  
• 1/4 tsp. of kosher salt 
• 1 tsp. of sugar 
• 2 tbsp. of vegetarian or regular oyster sauce 
• 2 tsp. of soy sauce 
• 3 tbsp. of water 

Instructions:

1. Separate the romaine lettuce into individual leaves. Wash and clean the leaves.  
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ½ of tsp. kosher salt to the water. Prepare a bowl with water and ice. 
3. Working in batches, blanch the leaves for 20 seconds and move to the ice water bowl to stop cooking. Drain the Romaine lettuce leaves in a colander and remove any excess water with a towel. Transfer the leaves to a large serving plate.  
4. Mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and water in a bowl. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in the minced garlic, and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Pour in the sauce mixture and stir to mix well. Lower heat and simmer until sauce is thick and bubbly (about 1 minute).  
5. Pour the sauce mixture over the lettuce and serve. 

Craft: Egg Carton Bird Feeder/Nesting Station

You’ll Need:

• One paper egg carton 
• Bird seed 
• Nesting materials (flowers/leaves/grasses) 
• Markers or watercolors 
• Yarn or string 
• A pair of scissors 

 Instructions:

1. Carefully remove the lid from the carton. Then, cut or tear the carton in half to create two sections, each with six egg holders. 
2. Make a small hole at each of the 4 corners of the carton segment. Thread your string/yarn through one hole, run it under the carton (to support the materials and birds), run it through the remaining corners, and tie the ends of the string/yarn together to create a hanging loop.  
3. Decorate the outside of the carton! 
4. Fill 3 of the egg holders with seeds and the remaining 3 with nesting materials. Alternate between nesting materials and seeds so the feeder does not tip over. 
5. Hang your feeder in a high location like a tree branch so the birds are safe from predators.