Whether you’re looking for sweet, soft, subtle, or bitter flavours, lettuce leaves cover it all. There are hundreds of different varieties with varying textures and tastes, ideal for both hot and cold dishes.
Lettuces are often an unsung hero of the vegetable patch. The bedrock of any summer salad, leaves are almost always outshone by other more colourful ingredients that sit proudly on the top. However, lettuce leaves are low in calories and are a great way to bulk out recipes and pack in lots of nutrients too.
We asked Nick Rose of Farrington’s Farm what we can expect to see in our salad bowls this summer;
“Our red soil at Farrington’s has a really sandy base and is just wonderful for growing all kinds of crops but the lettuces thrive particularly well, especially in the fabulous sunny spring weather we’ve been enjoying this year.
We’ve planted 20,000 lettuces this year, all of which are organic and growing fast. Although hundreds of types to choose from, Farrington’s favourite four varieties include Red Oak Leaf, Green Oak Leaf, Little Gem and Iceberg.”
LOOSE LEAF VARIETIES
RED OAK
Sometimes known as butter lettuce, Red Oak has vibrant red and green quilted leaves, almost autumnal in colour. This leaf has been shown to contain strong antioxidants and has a mild, sweet yet earthy flavour.
Flavour friends: Red Oak goes well with sharp, citrus flavours as well as the sweetness of red grapes. Try dressing the leaves with an acidic, lemon based dressing.
GREEN OAK
This lettuce is similar to the Red Oak but with bright green leaves and has a sweet, earthy taste. Known as butter lettuces due to their loose-leaf head, they have sweeter leaves towards the centre. Oak leaf lettuces are a good source of vitamin A and C.
Flavour friends: with a strong earthy flavour, Green Oak can stand up to strong savoury and robust ingredients such as mushrooms, avocado and bacon as well as any punchy dressing.
HARD LETTUCE VARIETIES
LITTLE GEM
Otherwise known as Baby Gems, Little Gem lettuces are a mini version of the Cos lettuce. They contain sweet, crisp and robust leaves that store and keep really well. These are the most versatile lettuce you can buy and sturdy enough to griddle on the barbecue.
Flavour friends: Little Gems can handle a good splash of dressing and compete with a powerful mature cheese. Typically used in a traditional Caesar salad, this lettuce is perfectly paired with shavings of parmesan and crisp salty pancetta.
ICEBERG
One of the most popular of the lettuce family, Iceberg is delicately sweet with a crunchy texture. Great shredded for adding texture to sandwiches, burgers and wraps, Iceberg lettuce contains slightly lower nutritional value than some lettuces. However, it is still an excellent source of potassium and manganese as well as iron, calcium and magnesium.
Flavour friends: Iceberg’s sweetness means it’s perfectly paired with fresh fruits such as peaches, mangoes and tomatoes. Extremely versatile, it can carry most dressings well and works great with a honey and mustard vinaigrette.
TOP TIP
Don’t throw lettuce away just because it’s been in the fridge and gone a bit limp! Just discard the outer leaves and the ones underneath should be perfect.
For more delicious veggies, visit; www.farringtons.co.uk