Salads are the speciality at this little cafe. In a quest for the freshest ingredients, they have achieved the ultimate: a living salad.

Fresh is a bit of a paradox, as the dishes are prepared months in advance. An expert gardener and chef plans an herbaceous meal, each species carefully selected for harmonious growth. Planting times are staggered to ensure simultaneous maturation in a single flower pot.

As the seedlings develop, bonsai techniques may be applied to limit their size and concentrate all efforts on growing the tasty parts. Independent water nutrient drips and opaque partitions between species create different micro-climates as needed.

When a dish is ordered, the chef removes the partitions, gently washes and dries the plants, and places the pot into a recess in the table. A small scissors is provided in addition to the usual utensils. Patrons are instructed how to eat while causing minimum damage.

After the meal, the plants are assessed for survivability. Some might be left to regrow, while others are replaced. Once tended to, the plants are placed in the nursery until they are ready to eat again.
-- Aq_Bi, Oct 16 2015

the larger version Salad_20Days_20Yard
[xandram, Oct 19 2015]

Ah. I was rather hoping for lettuce leaves set in butter.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 16 2015


Fifty shades of soylent green...
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 17 2015


[+] works for me... but you forgot the bit where, just before serving, the stems are intermingled to provide the most homogenous grazing.
-- FlyingToaster, Oct 17 2015


This Idea might not be taking into account certain features of certain plants. Not all are willing to regrow lost leaves, mostly because they are "annual"-type plants, not "perennial"-type. Lettuce, for example, is tasty for only part of its life cycle. When it matures it grows a flowering stalk and the parts that were reasonably tasty before become quite bitter.
-- Vernon, Oct 17 2015


Of course I thought this idea would be about salad that has pot added, which I would love, but I really love this idea too.
-- blissmiss, Oct 17 2015


//lettuce leaves set in butter// The Kings Arms on Broad St. used to serve a version of this, and very tasty it was too.
-- pocmloc, Oct 17 2015


I'm with [bliss] on this one! There should also be *pot in every chicken*!
-- xandram, Oct 19 2015


Won't work for carrots, unfortunately.
-- RayfordSteele, Oct 19 2015


It would if a small trowel were included with the eating utensils.
-- Aq_Bi, Oct 19 2015


The title had me thinking canned salad, which I'm sorry to say actually exists (yuck!).
-- Spacecoyote, Oct 21 2015



random, halfbakery