Veggie & Fruit Guide
Veggie & Fruit- Please select from abc list
Lettuce
Lettuce is a universal salad favourite and there are hundreds of lettuce
varieties grown throughout the world.
In ancient times, Greeks and Romans believed that lettuce induced sleep
and so they served it at the end of a meal. However in 81 – 96 AD, the
dictatorial Emperor Domitian served it at the beginning of his feasts, in
order to torture his guests by forcing them to stay awake in his presence.
Serving Size
1 cup of lettuce (80g)
provides 1 serve of vegetables.
Seasonal
Availability
Most varieties of lettuce are available all year round.
Description by Variety
Iceberg Lettuce
Iceberg lettuce is known for its crispy texture and very mild
flavour. Firm, fresh heads should be heavy for their size and the
colour should be an even green. Avoid heads that have brown or slimy
edges.
Iceberg lettuce can be refrigerated unwashed in a sealed
bag for up to two weeks. Wash, drain well and pat dry, break or
shred into salads. It’s also ideal for garnishing platters or shaped
into cups for single portions.
Cos Lettuce
Cos (Romaine) lettuce is cylindrically shaped with darker outer
leaves. It has a crunchy texture and has a sweetly bitter flavour.
This lettuce is extremely popular as the key ingredient in Caesar
salads.
Choose crisp leaves and avoid leaves with brown spots or
edges. Wash and dry thoroughly before refrigerating. The head or
washed leaves can be refrigerated in a sealed bag for up to one
week.
Butter Lettuce
Butter lettuce has soft, buttery-flavoured leaves that make up
small, round and loosely formed heads. The outer leaves are pale
green while the inner leaves are yellow-green.
Leaves should
be firmly attached and supple. The leaves should be washed, drained
and thoroughly dried before refrigeration. The head or washed leaves
can be refrigerated in a sealed bag for up to a week.
This lettuce variety is best used in combination with other
salad greens.
Green and Red Fancy Leaf Lettuce
Unlike other types of lettuce, fancy leaf lettuce does not have a
head. The leaves are crisp and flavourful, but more perishable than
the head lettuces. The red leaf lettuce has a bronze to burgundy
tint and is mildly flavoured.
Avoid leaves with brown, slimy
edges. The head or washed leaves can be refrigerated in a sealed bag
for up to a week.
Like butter lettuce, green and red fancy
lettuce should be used in combination with other varieties of salad
greens.
