TIPical Mary Ellen host Mary Ellen Pinkham and herb lady Bonnie Dehn, owner of Dehn's Farm, explain tips and uses for different types of lettuce.
- When washing fresh spinach, soak the leaves in very cold water, then rinse several times.
- If the family is not very fond of spinach, but need healthy benefits such as vitamins A and E, try a salad of delicate baby spinach.
- Large-leaf spinach has a very robust flavor. When paired with fresh basil, the outcome is a very sweet taste.
- Romaine lettuce is normally used in Greek salads, but there are different types that give different flavors. The red and green varieties are very crisp and crunchy, and the red contains lots of vitamin C. Romaine hearts are like a small version of romaine and are usually more tender.
- Boston lettuce is very tender and sweet. It nearly melts in the mouth. This lettuce should be torn, not sliced with a knife, to savor its buttercrunch flavor. A knife will bruise the lettuce and turn the edges brown.
- Baby lettuce is basically made of small, immature lettuce leaves. A mix will most often include all types of lettuce leaves and spinach, plus arugula, watercress, pepper grass and other spicy greens. The flavor is subtle with just a hint of spiciness.
- Arugula has a raw peanut flavor that adds unusual flavors to an ordinary salad. This green can also be made into a pesto or salad dressing.
- Watercress is very nutritious and is often used in sandwiches or salads. It can also be juiced for its nutritional value, which is similar to wheat grass.
- Kale is very good in salads. It needs to be julienned, though, or it is very tough.
- Each variety of lettuce has its own taste, so go with combinations when making a salad. Some good combinations are the following: Boston lettuce with red-oak leaf, green and red-leaf lettuce, or butterhead and spinach. The two types of romaine make a great-tasting and very colorful salad when mixed together.
- Cleaning lettuce is easy. Take the head of green leaf and hold it upside down and dunk it into the sink full of water three or four times. Break leaves off the stalk individually and rinse.
- Drying lettuce is important, especially because it lasts longer in the refrigerator after it has dried. A salad spinner works fairly well. An alternative to the spinner is to sew three sides of two terrycloth towels together leaving one open end like a pillowcase. Place leaves into the bag and shake until dry.
Guests Bonnie Dehn
Commercial Herb Grower, Dehn's Herb Garden
16485 Tulip St. NW
Andover, MN 55304-2429
Fax: 612-753-1711
Website:
www.dehnsgardenherbs.com
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