Mache

Mache, aka lambs lettuce or corn salad is a delicate winter green. Mache has an almost floral flavour, and a soft tender texture.

30 September 2021

We recommend preparing Mache as you would spinach, its good eaten fresh and cooked. Mache is so delicate that if you do plan to enjoy it fresh ~ we recommend eating it in the next four days or so.

We’re being a be a bit cheeky when we say ~ Mache was the modern lettuce of 18th century Europe. It was very popular as a winter hardy vegetable before lettuce was bred and popularised to replace it. Mache is native to India, North Africa and the Mediterranean and has been a popular foraged green for many peoples for thousands of years.

The mache in the box this week is mache rapini. It has small just opening flower clusters, and it’s stalks are tender. The whole plant can be eaten and added raw to salads, eaten on top of soups, added to pasta or pizza, or popped into a sandwich. It is also commonly gently cooked with garlic and olive oil. We are going to be cooking it whole to celebrate its flowering shape.