Hydroponically-grown Boston Lettuce © Denzil Green Boston Lettuce is a member of the Butterhead family of Lettuces. It is a bit larger than a Bibb Lettuce, which is also in the Butterhead family. The leaves of Boston Lettuce, which are soft and tender, are so easily bruised that the lettuce is often shipped in protective…
This is a very colourful, and tasty vegetable side dish, and very easy to prepare, with a flair of a traditional French to it with the braised lettuce. Cooking lettuce might seem a jarring idea, but the French do cook lettuce as well as eating it fresh.
Bronze Mignonette Lettuce is a butterhead lettuce. It is described as a “semi-head” lettuce, because while in the centre of it the leaves form a loose head, older leaves spread out from the head on the edges. The firmness and size of head varies based on the temperature during growing. It tolerates heat, and is…
Butterhead lettuce is a category of lettuces. These lettuces have tender leaves, with heads that are half-open: they are compact in the centre, loosely-leafed on the outsides. The loose leaves are flopsy. The leaves in the centre are very soft, thus the allusion to “buttery”, and the leaves have a milder flavour than loose-leaf lettuces….
Chiffonade is a cooking technique for cutting vegetable leaves into long, thin, fine strips, shreds or ribbons, in effect shredding the leaves. Its name comes from the French word “chiffon”, meaning “ribbon.” In strictly classical French cooking, a Chiffonade had a further precise meaning. It was lettuce and sorel cut in this manner, then braised…
Coral Lettuce is a lettuce with a loose but not floppy head.It is small, only about 4 inches (10 cm) wide, with curly, ridged leaves. The texture of the leaves captures and holds dressings well. The lettuce has a mild flavour with only a slight bitterness. There is a green and purplish variety, and a…
This are fancy yet kid-friendly lunch sandwiches that the kids can help you make for them.
Green Mignonette is a semi-head lettuce, with medium to dark bright-green leaves. It grows 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) tall, and can weigh up to 1 pound (450g.) The firmness and size of the head varies based on temperature during growing. It tolerates heat and is slow to bolt, but there can…
These are great nibblies.
Iceberg Lettuce This is the Lettuce that foodies love to hate. It’s usually dismissed by all with a single, knowing sneer. Iceberg Lettuce has a firm, tight head of crisp, pale green leaves. The leaves have a great deal of cool moisture in them; some would say more moisture than flavour, in reference to its…
A recipe from the American south.
Lamb’s Lettuce has small, thin, long leaves, rounded on the ends, though some varieties are more pointy and have wider leaves. There are about 30 different varieties. The leaves can be light or dark green depending on the variety (Winter Lamb’s Lettuce, for instance, has darker green leaves.) Depending on the variety, the plant can…
L to R: Butterhead type, Looseleaf type, Crisphead type. © Denzil Green Lettuces are related to Dandelions. Almost all Lettuces except Iceberg have both red and green varieties. Lettuce leaves vary from very tender (in the Butterhead group) to very crisp (Crisphead group.) There are at least four main types of Lettuce. Some Lettuces, such…
Lollo Biando is a loose leaf lettuce, with a bit more bitterness than other lettuces, but without the full bitter tang of frisée lettuce, chicory or endive. It has soft, ruffled leaves that are a medium-green colour. Lollo Biando grows 6 to 8 inches (15 cm to 20 cm) wide, and tolerates hot weather well…
Lollo Rosso is a loose leaf lettuce, with a bit more bitterness than other lettuces, but without the full bitter tang of frisée lettuce, chicory or endive. It has soft, ruffled leaves that are a medium-green colour with deep purpley-red tinges on the frilly edges. Lollo Rosso grows 6 to 8 inches wide (15cm to…
Mignonette is a semi-head lettuce. The firmness and size of head varies based on temperature during growing, but it can weigh up to 1 pound (450g) and grow 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) tall. There are green, red and bronze varieties. The plant tolerates some frost.. It also tolerates heat, and is…
This is a great winter or fall salad because the mushrooms and blue cheese are hearty flavours, and the salad is served with a warm topping on it.
There are two different types of Oak Lettuce, Green and Red. Both are loose leaf lettuces, and have oak tree-like leaves that are only close to each other at the stem. Green Oak Lettuce The green leaves have a very mild bitterness that make them popular in mesclun mixes. On the whole, its shape, taste…
Redina is a burgundy-coloured salad green with a very mild flavour, and no bitterness at all to speak of. How deeply red its leaves get depends on how young you harvest it, and on the quality of the soil. It can be harvested young at 30 days as baby leaves, or as fully grown leaves…
