Lactuca sativa

Lactuca sativa
I started several trays of lettuce plants today. New Red Fire and Two Star are our tried and true, slow-to-go-to-seed lettuce varieties that have been able to handle the extreme heat of this early summer. Some of you got some small Rossimo lettuces bundled together this week; they were small because if we would have let them go any longer in the field, they would have succumbed to the heat, felt it was their time to reproduce, and shot up a seed stalk (what we call “bolting”), rendering the leaves bitter and tough. But we wanted to share these tasty little red-leaved heirlooms with you before they gave up the ghost. In the weeks to come, expect to see larger heads of the two lettuces I planted today, as well as a nice romaine called Jericho that has been specifically bred to tolerate the heat. No promises, but I've seen Jericho heads hit the six pound mark on the scale (though no lettuce is gonna get that big in the heat of the summer).
We're trying to bring you the best lettuce varieties so you can enjoy beautiful salads and thick, fresh sandwiches throughout the year. During my farm journeys through three states, I've found that not many small farmers have the guts to grow cool-weather loving lettuce during the hot months (for the aforementioned problems of smallness and bolting). But the Peasants won't let a little heat get in the way of a nice head of greens. We hope you're making lots of great meals with your lettuce.  
~joe