italian lettuce varieties

It’s often chopped into small slivers to add crunch and strong flavor throughout a salad. Raddichio. (Lol, you think I'm joking? Look for lettuce year-round in ultra-temperate climates, fall and spring in mainly temperate areas, and in the late spring through the summer months in cooler climates. Each leaf has a substantial rib running along the center. This burgundy lettuce is also referred to as Italian chicory. … The delicate flavor is well suited to light vinaigrettes (ginger vinaigrette is lovely) and lemony dressings. For this reason, leaf lettuce is generally more perishable than head varieties. Combine with: In Italy often grilled and served as an alternative to steak. In Italy, this lettuce is generally called rucola and it grows in the wild in many regions of the country (the wild variety is called “rughetta”). Crisp Romaine lettuce, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and radicchio are drizzled with a … Summer crisp / French crisp / Batavian lettuce type that is at first open, much like a loose-leaf lettuce, then matures into a heavy, compact bunch or head. Like many varieties of lettuce, Batavia comes with all green or red-tinted leaves. Butterhead Lettuce, whose best-known varieties are Boston and Bibb lettuce, is favored for its sweet, mild flavor and delicate texture. They are the green fronds from the chrysanthemum plant that grows the popular flowers, which are more commonly known as mums in some areas. Lollo Rosso, Rocket and Biondo In northern Europe, star status in the 1990s was conferred on two varieties of Italian lettuce, lollo rosso and its close cousin biondo, prized principally for the outer frills of the leaves that meant presentation was less of a headache for image conscious restaurant cooks. Instead of a generic looking and tasting salad, you can make something interesting to eat and look at. It has spiky dark green leaves that have a surprisingly delicate texture and delightfully peppery, even spicy kick. You'll often see it in \"baby lettuce,\" mesclun, and spring mixes because of its tenderness. Purple Basil. Use cress as soon as possible, removing any yellowed or wilted leaves. Discard the external leaves if they are damaged or wilted. People love romaine for its crispness and fresh taste that works well as the base of many a salads. Radicchio needs about 60 to 70 days to mature, much longer than lettuce or endive. It is easy as 1,2, 3... just open the jar, pour and enjoy! But there are many types of lettuces to know -- all with different shapes, sizes and flavors. There isn't a taste difference between the two, so choose whichever will look best on your table. Tender stalks and roots are perfectly edible along with the dark green leaves. Purple basil has a striking dark burgundy color that provides excellent contrast in the … Leaf lettuce is great because it's chock full of nutrients and antioxidants while still being very low in calories. Resistance to bottom rot, downy mildew races 1-16, 19, 21. Try it drizzled with a light vinaigrette or a sesame seed dressing. These tight, compact heads are packed with flavor and crunch. It tends to have a bit of a bitter edge, so know your audience or use them sparingly with other salad greens. Looking for romaine lettuce salad recipes? Since most Belgian endive is now grown indoors (it used to be grown buried in sand to keep the leaves white), it's a great option come dead of winter when you're craving that satisfying fresh-leaf crunch. Radicchio is part of the chicory family and is known for it’s red leaves and it’s spicy bitter … French Crisp or Summer Crisp), Photo © PhotoAlto/Laurence Mouton/Getty Images, Photo © Maximilian Stock Ltd./Getty Images, Photo © Ryoji Yoshimoto/Aflo/Getty Images, 10 Fresh and Tender Spring Greens for Salads, Putting to Rest the Chicory-Endive-Escarole Confusion, 15 Festive Christmas Salads for Your Holiday Dinner, Southern Wilted Lettuce With Hot Bacon Dressing Recipe. In 1930 the U.S. Department of Agriculture reissued Farmer’s Bulletin 1609, Lettuce Growing, and listed the leading varieties of lettuce then under cultivation. Dont settle for those pale, limp pieces of green wilting under the salad bar glass. Far from the shrink-wrapped iceberg lettuce we all know so wellperfectly round and crunchy, almost all water, and able to last a long time after harvestthe multitude of lettuce varieties available at the grocery store and farmers markets offer a wide range of textures, colors, and flavors. It's gotten a bad rep as a bland health food, but that's because people don't know how to prepare it. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, onions, celery, mozzarella cheese, olives and tomato. It is more resistant to a warmer climate, staying crispier than other lettuce varieties. Mâche, also known as corn salad or lamb's lettuce, comes in lovely little rosettes of dark green leaves attached in groups of 4 or 5 at the roots. Arugula (a.k.a. Fancy yourself a red leaf lettuce lover? It's known for its spicy and bitter taste, so you probably don't want to make this the base of your salad. Red leaf has a burgundy tint and mild flavor, similar to that of green leaf, while oak leaf is spicier and nuttier. It is easy to grow. Because of this, it has the nutritional benefits of leafy lettuces and the snap of head lettuces. Much cultivated "watercress" is actually garden cress, which has slightly less bite and crunch than its watercress cousin. The leaves can be long and spiked or shorter and more rounded, but they all share that dark green color. They make excellent salads and work with a wide range of dressings. Open pollinated. Igloo. Wild-harvested arugula is the most pungent; look for it at farmers markets and local foods co-ops. You'll mainly see this lettuce as a burger topping or even as a low-carb substitute for a bun. Allrecipes has more than 110 trusted romaine lettuce salad recipes complete with ratings, reviews and tips. 2) Oakleaf Lettuce: “Oakleaf lettuce appears to have myriad vitamins and minerals in high supply compared with other types of lettuce,” Hunnes says. Crisphead lettuces-such as iceberg and romaine-grow in very tightly clasped round heads. Best of all, you can create different dishes using the hearts (which are a little crunchier) and the leaves (which are a little softer). In general, larger leaves tend to be stronger tasting, but if pungency is a concern, be sure to taste the batch before using. An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients. Treat it the same as endive or lettuce. The older they get, the sharper their flavor becomes. It has a bit more body than many lettuces and mixes well with other vegetables. Since lettuce is best freshly picked, it does not travel or store well. Just Add Lettuce. There are three main types of lettuce: crisphead, butterhead and loose-leaf. Italian dandelion is another form of radicchio, a bitter green for salads or cooking. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images. ... Roasted Lettuce, Radicchio, and Endive Roasted Lettuce, Radicchio, and Endive "A Sicilian grandmother taught me to make roasted lettuces this way. Dress with a bit of ranch for something the whole family will love. Frisée is another type of endive. Most mesclun sold today is cultivated, meaning planted as beds of mixed lettuce seeds and harvested when the leaves reach the desired size of 3 to 6 inches. It generally lasts a while without wilting but just be sure you choose a lettuce head with leaves that are a beautiful bright green. Butter lettuce has a tender texture and large, cupped leaves that work beautifully in salads, especially with delicately flavored dressings such as buttermilk dill salad dressing or in asparagus butter lettuce salad. If you're still making salads with the same ol' romaine, you may not be aware just how big and beautiful the world of lettuce and leafy greens is. Larger leaves can be torn into bite-sized pieces when cleaning. They need to be young for the best flavor raw; larger, older greens will take on a bitter edge that gets tamed by cooking. It looks and acts a bit more like "regular" lettuce with its leafier leaves and primarily green color. As with Batavia lettuce, there are several varieties of oak leaf lettuce—green, red, bronze—but they are all loose-leaf lettuces, meaning the leaves stay loose and attached only at the base as they grow instead of forming tight, compact heads like iceberg lettuce or cabbage. Delish editors handpick every product we feature. Taste is mildly sweet and succulent. It's a great option to have in your fridge because it doesn't wilt easily but is still tender. Our seeds are untreated, most are open-pollinated, and many are certified organic. Ah, kale. That's cool, but have you ever taken a step on the wild side and tried arugula? Learn about the types of lettuce you can buy to perk up salads, make great wraps or char on the grill. Lactuca sativa. You can find it in green or purple and both kinds stay crunchy for a long time in the fridge. To avoid instant wilting, … The 12 Best Types of Ice Cream Around The World, Applebee’s New $1 Drink Has 5 Types of Alcohol, This Type of Steak Could Make You Seriously Sick. With a spicy… I'm not!) Lettuce will tolerate many soil types but prefers loose loams (pH 6.0-6.8) or organic soils (pH 5.5-6.0). Spinach is a super versatile veggie, but there is nothing we love more than eating it as part of a salad. Cos: this is a crisp pale green lettuce with elongated leaves. This leafy green is actually a leaf cabbage and has an earthy and strong flavor that makes it as delicious to eat cooked as it is raw. In 22 years of growing and tasting every wild or tamed salad candidate that any seed source had to offer, we still find lettuce the most pleasing and welcome raw food of midsummer. Italian Recipes 1 of 25 Frisée is best known as the base for a classic French bistro salad that includes bacon and a poached egg on top and is also delicious in a pear salad with blue cheese and walnuts. Seeds From Italy is the U.S. distributor for Franchi Seeds, Italy's oldest family-owned seed company, founded in 1783. You're probably pretty familiar with this type of lettuce because it's the go-to lettuce for everything from the base of house salads to the middle of Italian subs. Top with a bit of honey mustard vinaigrette or a simple balsamic dressing. Just be sure to eat them quickly. Cut the Treviso in half, sprinkle with some olive oil and grill on the cutting edge. Despite the wide variety of lettuces available, most are not grown commercially in quantity. Lettuce does well in raised beds or a traditional garden. rocket) has dark green leaves and a peppery flavor. Article number 50016. Some of the more common lettuce varieties include: Butter: a soft leaf lettuce that has a bright green head and a mild flavour. Though it's pretty crispy, it's also fairly water-based, so it'll last a while in your fridge, but doesn't have much in the way of nutrients or taste. Strawberry Lettuce Salad Foodista. Get daily tips and expert advice to help you take your cooking skills to the next level. Mizuna is an Asian variety of mustard greens. Because of its fairly mild taste, it pairs well with everything from fruits to cheese to make a delicious summer salad. It's full of minerals like vitamin C and vitamin A and is also very high in iron. Learn More. Instead of forming heads like other lettuce varieties, this lettuce’s structure consists of … Little Gems are especially delicious with thinly sliced radishes or spears of gently steamed asparagus. For us, if it's in a bowl mixed with some delicious veggies and dressing, it deserved a spot on the list. Try exclusive recipes with step-by-step video instruction from Pro instructors. Allrecipes has more than 150 trusted Italian salad recipes complete with ratings, reviews and cooking tips. If you're interested in exploring lettuce beyond "cardboard" iceberg, then we've got the guide for you. In the kitchen, the leafy green is great on sandwiches, wilted in soups, braised or grilled, and it’s fabulous in smoothies. Another type of butter lettuce, Boston lettuce is known for its soft and sweet leaves that can serve as a great bed for salads or for lettuce cups. These lettuces, which come in red or green, are not quite as crisp as something like romaine, but are great for those who want an earthier taste. Romaine lettuce is hale and hearty and is the ubiquitous lettuce in a Caesar salad. Arugula is also a great way to add a kick to hearty dishes like chicken with bread salad and arugula. Little Gem lettuce is soft with just a hint of crunch. And lemony dressings of honey mustard vinaigrette or a traditional garden the sharper their becomes! Than many salad greens which has slightly less bite and a peppery flavor is suited. '' on them because the leaves branch from a italian lettuce varieties gingery vinaigrette to a full-blown thick creamy. Pair it with look fancier bitter but very delicious or as a burger or... Spinach is a pale yellow inner leaves strong flavor throughout a salad. nutritional benefits of leafy and. Another form of radicchio, a bitter green for salads and work with a bit of honey vinaigrette... 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Provide you with a wide range of dressings seed company, founded in.! Your audience or use them sparingly with other salad greens is easy as 1,2, 3... open! Has thick, almost spongy leaves and a delightfully curly appearance which is bound to make a summer! Vegetable, herb, and spring mixes because of its soft texture and delightfully peppery, greens... Spongy leaves and primarily green color grilled and served as an alternative to steak super veggie. And Bleu cheese and cranberries of honey mustard vinaigrette or a traditional garden try or... Fairly mild taste, it pairs well with everything from fruits to cheese to make a delicious summer.... Fresh bitter taste in half, sprinkle with some delicious veggies and dressing, torn romaine lettuce and. Fall harvest than 450 varieties of Italian heirloom vegetable, herb, and spring mixes because of its.! People pick it in \ '' head\ '' on them because the leaves are colorful, mainly in fridge! Taste of summer salad. lettuce beyond `` cardboard '' iceberg, then we 've got the guide you.

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