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Tuesday, October 07, 2008 |
Leafy Salad Greens |
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Availability Chart
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Jun |
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Aug |
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| CA |
M |
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M |
| AZ |
P |
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Care & Handling
Varieties
Iceberg: More accurately called crisphead, this familiar pale green lettuce forms a tight, cabbagelike head. Its texture is crisp and its flavor very mild. Although it is not the nutritional powerhouse that other, darker-green lettuces are, it is actually not as nutrition-free as most people assume. Two cups of iceberg lettuce provide a respectable amount of folate (folic acid), providing 35% of the Daily Value for this important vitamin. There are also few substitutes in the lettuce world when you want a very crisp lettuce, as for chopped salads.
Romaine: Also called cos, this lettuce has long, deep green leaves that form a loaf-shaped head. Some varieties develop a closed head, others are more open. Romaine, the main ingredient in Caesar salads, has a crisp texture and an assertive, but not bitter, taste.
Loose Leaf: This type of lettuce comprises a number of varieties that don't form heads, but consist of large, loosely packed leaves joined at a stem. The leaves are either green or shaded to deep red at the edges, and may be ruffled or smooth. Their degree of crispness is midway between romaine and butterhead, their taste is mild and delicate.
Spinach: Spinach
is exceptionally rich in carotenoids, including beta-carotene
and lutein, and also contains quercetin, a phytochemical
with antioxidant properties. Spinach is rich in vitamins
and minerals, particularly folate (folic acid), vitamin
K, magnesium, and manganese; it also contains more
protein than most vegetables.
Endive:
This
relative of the chicory family has a bunchy head with frilly leaves. The pale
leaves from the center are mild, while the outer green leaves are slightly bitter.
Curly endive
is available year-round, with its peak season
from June through October. Curly endive
should be selected for their fresh, crisp texture;
avoid heads with discoloration or insect damage.
Store tightly wrapped in the
refrigerator for up to 3 days. Curly endive is
a popular salad ingredient. View nutrition here.
Escarole: Sometimes
marketed as Batavian endive, this popular salad
ingredient is a broad-leafed cousin of curly endive.
Look for
crisp, green heads. Escarole
is available year-round, with its peak season
from June through October.
Store escarole,
tightly
wrapped, in the refrigerator for up
to 3 days. Escarole is used mainly in salads, but
can also be briefly cooked and eaten as a vegetable
or in
soups. View nutrition info here.
Availability
Green Giant Fresh Leafy Salad Vegetables are
available year round.
Selection
Try to choose lettuce with healthy outer leaves; these are likely to be the most nutritious part of the green, containing much more beta-carotene and vitamin C than the pale inner leaves. Unfortunately, the outer leaves are usually the most damaged part of the head, but from a nutritional standpoint, it's best to salvage as many as you can.
Storage
Most lettuces and other greens keep best in a plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper. Soft-leaved lettuces do not keep as well as firm greens, such as romaine or iceberg lettuce: Iceberg should keep for up to two weeks, romaine for about 10 days, and butterhead and leaf lettuces for about four days.
Preparation
Leafy Salad Greens must be washed--and
in some cases trimmed--before you put them in the salad
bowl.
Since grit tends to collect at the stem end of looser-headed greens, it's important to twist off the stem and separate the leaves before washing them. (If you're not using the entire lettuce at one meal, just remove as many leaves as you need from the stem.)
A salad spinner greatly simplifies the preparation of greens by drying them quickly and thoroughly. Dry leaves are a must if the dressing is to adhere properly.
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