Salads are not only healthy, they are also always in season – around the year. Most salads are easy to prepare and fit as a delightful side dish to almost all main dishes, but also as a low-calorie main course they are a pleasure, especially on hot days. Who would like to pay attention in the summer to the slim line or also only in such a way the body something good to do, lies with salad exactly correctly. Crisp summer salads such as head lettuce, iceberg lettuce, coleslaw or lollo rossa are a low-calorie and at the same time healthy and colorful treat.
Lettuce: calories and ingredients
The green or red-green leaves provide the organism with beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2, and B6, as well as vitamin C. Especially minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as the “blood-forming” trace element iron are contained in lettuce. The energy content of most types of lettuce is just 15 to 20 kilocalories per 100 grams. Despite its abundance of water, lettuce satiates well because the fiber it contains swells in the intestines and also has a positive effect on digestion. Also favorable for the metabolism is the relatively low sodium and the high potassium content, which promotes a drainage (“purification”) of the body. Since lettuce is eaten raw, no vitamins and minerals are lost through heating or cooking. Especially the rather outer, lush green lettuce leaves contain valuable ingredients. Except for the very outside leaves, which may contain more nitrates and contaminants, they should therefore be used whenever possible.
Leaf lettuces: lettuce, iceberg lettuce and batavia lettuce.
In the summer months, head lettuce, iceberg lettuce and batavia lettuce from the open field are in season. They belong to the lactuca or lettuce group. Since all three form a more or less solid “head,” they are also often all referred to as head lettuces. A typical feature of lettuces in the lactuca group is that when the stalk and leaves are cut, a milky juice oozes out.
- Despite many new types of lettuce, lettuce is still popular. It has a neutral taste and is therefore versatile to prepare – an ideal base for mixed salads of all kinds. Once the outer, hard leaves of the thick, tightly closed head have been removed, as well as the strong ribs, the leaves can be washed and plucked into bite-sized pieces. Lettuce is available not only in green, but also as a red variety. This is free of bitter substances, but less durable.
- As a special breeding direction of lettuce, the much larger ice or iceberg lettuce has become established. The color of the fleshy to brittle, but juicy leaves varies from yellow to dark green. Red varieties are also known. Because of its crunchy bite and good shelf life, iceberg lettuce quickly found followers. Thus, it can be easily stored for several days – even cut or partially defoliated – packed in a plastic container or damp cloth in the refrigerator.
- A cultivation of lettuce and iceberg lettuce is the Batavia lettuce; size-wise it is about in between. This also applies to the texture of the leaves and shelf life. It has a spicier taste than lettuce. Its slightly curly, thick-fleshed leaves are yellowish, green, dark reddish brown or green with reddish edges, depending on the variety and season.
Cut lettuces and pluck lettuces.
Decorative and tasty are the curled leaves of oak leaf lettuce, coleslaw, frillice, lollo rossa and lollo bionda. From May/June to October, the individual varieties are fresh from the field. Especially in the winter months, additional crosses of oak leaf and Batavia, red coleslaw, crosses of lettuce and Romana or ice coleslaw from the greenhouse are offered under the name “coleslaw”. All the above varieties are called cut and picked lettuces, because they do not form heads of lettuce, but individual leaves that grow from rosettes. The term “cut lettuce” dates back to earlier times when people liked to grow these fast-growing lettuces in their own gardens. When harvesting, a family would cut off just enough leaves to make a meal. This is because the curly lettuce leaves have the property of growing back twice more after the first cut.
Oak leaf lettuce, lollo rossa/bionda and frillice.
- Oakleaf lettuce gets its name from the shape of its long, narrow, serrated leaves, is stronger in flavor than lettuce, and has a slight hazelnut note. It comes in light and dark green varieties and with red coloring.Its soft leaves are exceedingly delicate, so it must be handled gently after purchase and consumed quickly.
- In contrast, the leaves of the varieties Lollo rossa and Lollo bionda, which come from Italy, are quite hard and robust, but have a delicate edge. Both spicy, slightly bitter and nutty tasting lettuce varieties can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.
- Frillice is a relatively young variety of lettuce, which originated in Holland. It combines the crunchiness of iceberg lettuce and with its jagged lettuce edges the decorative appearance of cabbage lettuce. Frillice contains more vitamin C than head-forming lettuce and tastes like romaine lettuce (“summer endive”) slightly tart aromatic.
A delicious salad can also be prepared from leaves of wild plants or garden flowers – just think of dandelion, nettle and nasturtium. Often you can even use their beautiful flowers as edible decorations. However, only the young, tender leaves are suitable for consumption.
