Food & Recipes: Lettuce Be Friends

15 Mar
2010

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the oldest known vegetables, developed from prickly lettuce, a wild plant around the Mediterranean and Caucasus regions which was used as a medicinal herb. Some reports point back as far as the Egyptians in 4500 BC, but it was cultivated by ancient Greeks and Romans.

Lettuce comes in all shapes, sizes and colors. There are four main types of lettuce: Butterhead, Crisphead (Iceberg), and Romaine (Cos) and Looseleaf. Stemming from the four, varieties include: Arugula, Endive, Chicory, Escarole and Raddicchio. Besides a garnish in salads, lettuce can also be served cooked. Imagine that. Most dark greens are good sources of Vitamin C and other nutrients.The rule of thumb is, usually, the darker the greens, the more nutritious the leaf. Here are some recipes that will allow you to put a spin on the veggie, that is up to 95% percent water.

HOT LETTUCE SOUP