Expanding your lettuce repertoire

We started cultivating lettuce from what many would consider to be weeds by today’s standards in the Mediterranean some 6,500 years ago. Romaine or Cos lettuce was initially cultivated for the oils that could be extracted from its seeds. The oil was used for medicinal, culinary and mummification purposes and to this day is used as a natural remedy to treat hair loss.

Romaine lettuce was venerated as an aphrodisiac as it grew straight and tall like a phallus and when its leaves were broken off they secreted a milky fluid associated with breast milk and semen which was the renowned food of Min, the Egyptian god of fertility.

It wasn’t until about 4,000 years later that the Greeks and Romans later promoted leaf-born vegetables as a salad or appetizer course when they introduced the method of eating that required a set order of courses. Leaves were served at both the beginning and end of meals to stimulate the appetite and later to encourage digestion while promoting sleep.

Today the average Canadian consumes around 15 kg of lettuce annually which is typically produced for the fresh marketplace and is used in many components of the meal such as salads, sandwich accompaniments to leaves that are cooked and served with meals.

Shopping for fresh lettuce that doesn’t turn into compost within a day of purchasing it at this time of year can be a challenge as many lettuces spend the prime of its life in transport as many common lettuces that we use are brought in from far south of our border.

This problem can easily be addressed by expanding your culinary repertoire of lettuces while supporting Ontario’s greenhouse lettuce producers as well as eating healthier products that are in transport less than a day.

Lake Erie farms Inc. grows a variety of lettuces hydroponically which are available in many produce aisles and are readily identified by their clam shell packaging which acts like its own hydroponic greenhouse as it contains a head of living, still growing head of lettuce with its roots in tact.

A favourite of mine is their Butterhead lettuce, also known as Boston or Bibb lettuce which is easily identified by its grassy green leaves that are loosely bunched together and looks somewhat like a rose or peony with mildly sweet tasting leaves that have a buttery texture. Butterhead lettuce will store for 3-4 weeks so long as the roots remain wet allowing you to remove leaves as needed without damaging those around them. The following recipe is great on its own or can be easily served up with some grilled fish or chicken.

Butterhead Salad

1 shallot, minced

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

¼ cup salad oil

2-3 heads Butterhead lettuce

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese Method: In a suitable container combine the shallot, mustard, vinegar and oil. Pulse the ingredients together using an immersion blender until smooth and emulsified.

Break the leaves off of the heads and place them into a large bowl. Lightly dress the leaves with the vinaigrette before topping them with the almonds and feta cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store any leftover vinaigrette in the fridge and use up in a couple of days.