Is the typical vegetarian a lettuce-munching fiend ?

Well, possibly.  I love lettuce.

There are lots of different types.

Here are some from the most common classification

Crisphead  (Iceberg)

Really crisp.  Not the most flavoursome but surprisingly good stir-fried

Summercrisp (Batavian)

crisp outer leaves with a juicy heart

Butterhead (Boston, Bibb)

One of the most delicate:  creamy,  light-green leaves, gently sweet, rarely bitter.

Good straight-up as a salad  or lightly braised with sweet spices such as nutmeg or fennel. They make lovely soups

Romaine (Cos)

Our personal favourite:  big flavour, sweet and bitter notes,  big crunch,  strongly coloured, highly nutritious and totally versatile.

Great eaten raw with a little salt or a full-on salad dressing.

Or use the whole leaves as a wrapper for Thai Tofu Wraps with a thousand condiments.

Delicious braised or in a soups as the star of the show.

Or prepare as the base for a fresh Korean Kimchi

Nutrition

Lettuce is a rich source of numerous vitamins and minerals, notably

• Vitamins A, K and C
• Folic acid
• Iron, Calcium, Magnesium and Potasium

Benefits

Lettuce helps protect against Alzheimer’s, cardio-vascular disease and stroke.

It’s been used in traditional medicine to induce sleep

There’s so much more to be said about lettuce. But that’s enough for now.

Check out some or favourite ways to eat lettuce in our next post

Manuel