The cool-weather salad bar is open.

Fresh-cut greens might not seem synonymous with midwinter but mâche, pea shoots, fava bean leaves, and mustard can be on your holiday plate if your USDA hardiness zone is 6b or higher. For a small investment per packet, you cut your salad shopping bill drastically, and have the satisfaction of picking your daily bowlful, grown right at home.

Photography by Marie Viljoen.

Mâche

Above: I started growing mí¢che (also called corn salad and lamb’s lettuce) because I could not find its delicate and easily bruised rosettes at markets. Mí¢che is a true winter crop. While many sources cite it as easy to grow, there is a trick (which they don’t mention): the seeds will not germinate if temperatures are above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. After overnight temperatures are steadily below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it is time to plant for midwinter or spring harvest.

A good source for seeds is Botanical Interests, where a packet of Heirloom Mâche Seeds is $1.89.

Giant Red Mustard

Above: One of the cold-hardy Brassicas, giant red mustard thrives in nippy weather and adds a welcome bite of pepper to a mixed salad. The largest leaves make good leaf wraps. (And planted alone in a perennial bed, the leaves are indeed giant and are very striking.)

Arugula

Spicy arugula is a staple in my daily salads. Ggardening in-ground in Brooklyn after a move from a container garden in Harlem, I have been thrilled to discover that they will thrive without direct sunlight. In fact they perform better than the arugula that I have grown in full sun. Plant as early as late summer, with successive sowings till frost.