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Lettuce and Leafy Greens

The “colourful salads” include, for example, Batavia, oak leaf green/red, Lollo Bionda/Rossa and Novita.

Like lettuce, Batavia lettuce belongs to the botanical daisy family (bot.: Compositae or Asteraceae). Its leaf quality is somewhere between lettuce and iceberg lettuce. Similar to lettuce, it comes with red and green leaves. However, its slightly curled leaves taste more like those of a strong iceberg lettuce.

Oak leaf lettuce or oak leaf lettuce is only harvested once and we offer it as an outdoor lettuce from the beginning of spring to the end of summer. It gets its name from the shape of its leaves. In shape and colour, it is reminiscent of the leaves of the oak tree.

The red-leaved lettuce differs from the green-leaved only by the plant pigment anthocyanin. Both form very tender leaves and taste slightly nutty. Dressed with a nut vinaigrette, this taste is emphasized even more.
Among other things, the red Lollo Rosso or Lollo Rossa and the green Lollo Bianco or Lollo Bionda, mostly from Italy, are offered as cut lettuce. Its heavily curled leaves form a dense hemisphere that mimics a head formation. These salads are often commercially available wrapped in foil. This keeps the lettuce in shape and loses less moisture through evaporation.

Origin

Batavian lettuce has been cultivated for centuries and is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Today Batavia lettuce is grown in many countries around the world.

Season

The colorful salads are in season from May to October.

Taste

The taste depends on the type of lettuce. For example, the oak leaf is heartier than the lettuce and is reminiscent of young hazelnuts. Due to the fine, mild aroma and its slightly nutty taste, you should not do without the oak leaf lettuce.

Use

Salads are among the most important types of vegetables worldwide. They are very rich in vitamins and refreshing. However, they are also very sensitive to the gas ethylene released from some ripe fruit varieties. Lettuce should therefore not be stored with fruit. Otherwise the lettuce will wilt faster and get unsightly brown spots.
Tip: Simply pluck Batavia salad into bite-sized pieces and serve with a homemade salad dressing. The colored leaves of the Batavia lettuce bring fresh variety to the salad bowl.

Storage/shelf life

It is best to wrap Batavia lettuce in damp kitchen paper and put it in a plastic bag or in a sealable bowl. Batavia lettuce can be kept in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for up to five days.
Lollo Rosso and Lollo Bionda are crunchy leaf salads. These tend to have a longer shelf life and stay fresh longer than other salads. If you don’t use the whole lettuce, it can be stored in the fridge for a while.

Oak leaf lettuce has a very short shelf life, it stays fresh for a day in the fridge.

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Written by John Myers

Professional Chef with 25 years of industry experience at the highest levels. Restaurant owner. Beverage Director with experience creating world-class nationally recognized cocktail programs. Food writer with a distinctive Chef-driven voice and point of view.

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