Lovely Lettuce

While popular and familiar, iceburg lettuce, by itself, makes for a pallid salad. Unless, of course, it's a wedge salad with blue cheese and bacon dressing garnished with sliced green onions and cranberries.

Romain and butterhead type lettuces are far more nutritionally dense than iceburg, which is mostly water. Lettuce leaf stalks have more fiber than the leaves, where vitamins and minerals are concentrated. 

Lettuce stored as a full head maintains quality longer than if prewashed and cut. Damaged or cut leaves release an enzyme that causes the degradation of Vitamin C and discoloration.

If storing cut leaves, dry thoroughly with a spinner or by gently tumbling in a clean towel. Store wrapped in a damp paper or dish towel in a sealed plastic bag or container.

 

The tight, blanched inner leaves of a head of Romaine or butterhead lettuce make crunchy, delightful scoops for egg, tuna, and chicken salad or dips like guacamole and chunky salsa.

We're used to eating salads as a small primer to the main dish, but fresh lettuce is so delicious and beautiful, you really can showcase it as a main dinner event.

A giant bed of lettuce can be the base of a “taco” salad. Pile on browned ground beef seasoned with cumin and chili powder, cooked brown rice, chopped green onions, cilantro, and salsa. If you're feeling indulgent, be generous with the sour cream and cheese; otherwise trying substituting Greek yogurt for the sour cream. Crumble some tortilla chips on top and dig in!

Another favorite main dish salad at our farm is a dish that my mother taught me, and her mother taught her. Buttercrunch is my favorite to use for this salad, but any fresh lettuce will do. Mix one part honey or sugar with one part lemon juice. Toss the lettuce with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and some salt. Pour the sweetened lemon juice over the salad and server with chopped boiled eggs. I have found bacon to be an excellent addition to this salad, but then there are few things that don't taste better with bacon! Served with a thick slice of whole wheat toast, this sweet and savory salad makes for an excellent light dinner at the end of a hot day spent planting okra and corn.

Make a vegan-friendly, but still robust and filling, salad by using chickpeas. I highly recommend buying (and then cooking) dried chickpeas, as they taste much better and have no added sodium, but canned will do in a pinch. In a blender, combine half the chickpeas with some water, a lot of curry powder, generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and fresh or powdered garlic. Process until smooth. Salt to taste. Toss the rest of the chickpeas in this curry chickpea dressing and pile the combination onto a mounded plate of lettuce. A ripe avocado makes a great addition to the dressing or topping the salad.

Whether you're working to improve or maintain your health, including salads as a major part of a few meals per week will help you towards your goal. With a little culinary creativity, there's no way you'll get bored with green salads before the spring lettuce bolts and makes way for summer tomatoes.