LETTUCES

A delightfully cooling food. Cultivated since 500BC for their highly developed radical leaves. Almost always eaten fresh & raw.

Trikaya Agriculture grows fourteen types of lettuce in commercial quantities;

Iceberg or Head lettuce

This type of lettuce is the most popular, but is also the hardest kind to grow. The leaves should fold over one another and form a more or less solid, well-defined head. The outside leaves are green and few; the inside leaves blanch much lighter. Many people like the taste of head lettuce better than that of the other types because it is more delicate.

Leaf lettuce

This type of lettuce has large, loose, frilled leaves which are spreading in growth. This type is easier to grow than head lettuce in our tropical growing conditions.

Romaine or Cos lettuce

This type of lettuce grows upright with large, smooth, erect, crisp, oblong leaves having broad midribs. Plants form long leaves, broad at the top with thick juicy hearts. The outside leaves are dark green, while the inside of the head may blanch somewhat. Traditional wisdom says that Cos lettuce withstands hot weather better than other lettuce but we have not found it to be the case.

Batavia

Endive

Green Butterhead

Green Leaf

Green Oak Leaf

Green Romaine

Iceberg

Leafy

Lollo Rosso

Baby Lollo Rosso

Red Oak Leaf

Red Romaine

Roquette

Royal Oak Leaf

Uses of lettuces

Most lettuce is, of course used in salads. Many people think a crisp, fresh piece of lettuce cannot be improved by anything except a well-seasoned dressing. But if you have a sudden flood of lettuce crying to be eaten, you may want some variations. Here are two suggestions.

How to select good lettuce

You'll get the most nutrition, of course, if you favor lettuce that is deep green in color. Lively heads that are crisp and colourful are the only ones to buy. Once lettuce dries out, it cannot be revived, so stay away from heads that are wilted and discolored. Cos is a tougher group with darker, longer leaves; it includes the popular, unwilting romaine. Leaf lettuce can be red or green and are good, all-purpose varieties. The butterhead group, which includes Boston and bibb, are small, delicate heads that are perfect with light vinaigrettes.

Nutrition

It packs the same nutritional attributes as greens that are traditionally cooked-lots of carotene, some vitamin C, and a fat, sodium, and calorie count to make any heart glad.

How to use or prepare lettuce

Put unwashed, uncut lettuce in a tightly closed plastic bag and refrigerate. Most varieties will last for up to a week. Rinse lettuce in cool water before using. Pat dry or run through a salad spinner and it will hold dressing better.

Accent on Enjoyment :

Salads are the obvious use for lettuce, but there are others.

* Use crisp leaves, instead of crackers, to scoop up dip.

* Simmer shredded lettuce with fresh baby peas.

* Make use of lettuce that has lost its crispness, mince and add it to soups.

* Sauté chopped lettuce with a bit of onion, then cook down until soft and wilted. Puree with a bit of fresh dill and serve hot with grilled chicken.

Did you know?

1 Never store tomatoes and lettuce in the same container or close to each other. Tomatoes emit a gas that will turn lettuce brown.

2 An old myth was that if cut with a knife, lettuce would discolor at the edges, so it was always recommended to tear the leaves instead.

3 Most of us serve salads before the entree without a thought. Take a tip from the Italians, however, who serve them after the entree. This is a refreshing idea that can take your mind off desert!

4 Move beyond the Iceberg. If you still rely only on the old standby, iceberg lettuce, now is the time to explore some different varieties of lettuce. Choose several different varieties for your salads so you'll have a good contrast of tastes and textures.

5. You can reconstitute wilted lettuce trimming off the very bottom part of the stalk and immersing it in warm water (about 37 degrees Celsius) for 15 to 20 minutes.

6. For those who feel that tomato must be served as well in a mixed salad, offer the sliced tomatoes separately in a simple dressing.

7 Lettuce has been an important part of human diets since ancient times. It was customary for the Romans to precede their gargantuan banquets with refreshing lettuce salads in the belief that lettuce enhanced the appetite and relaxed the alimentary canal. It had other uses, too. Dried lettuce juice was used to aid sleep in Elizabethan times and through World War II lactucarium, a sedative made from wild lettuce extracts, was used in hospitals¹.

8. Although most commonly consumed in salads, lettuce may also be served as a cooked vegetable.

9. Remember to harvest tender leaves from the center of the plants. The mature outer leaves act as"feeder leaves." Mix several varieties together for a delicious salad of fresh greens, otherwise known as Mesclun.