Title: Salad Greens Basics
Categories: Info Vegetable Salad
Yield: 1 Servings

DIFFERENT SALAD GREENS

Instead of filling your next salad bowl with the same old iceberg or red leaf lettuce, branch out and try some other greens, mild or strong. Salad greens bruise easily and wilt quickly so treat them gently.

1. Pick fresh, crisp heads with rich color. Avoid limp, slimy, discolored or brown tipped leaves.

2. Wash ahead of time, unless noted, and make sure leaves are dry. to get rid of any dirt or sand, soak the head; separate the leaves and wash under running water; or cut out the core and run water into the hollow.

3. To dry, shake excess water off leaves or run them through a salad spinner, drain in a colander, or roll in clean paper or cloth towels. Too much residual water can dilute the dressing.

4. Store well wraped greens in a plastic bag in the coldest part of the refrigerator for a few days. Place leaves between paper towels or cloths and roll gently. Wrap heads in paper or cloth towels.

5. Tear lettuce. Cutting with a knife causes bitterness and browning.

6. Dress the salad just before serving or it will wilt.

SO MANY KINDS: Here's a brief rundown on how to identify the more common salad greens, which are usually available year round.

ARUGULA: Taste: Young leaves are nutty; older ones pungent, peppery like mustard. Look For: Small, dark green, serrated leaves. Store: Very perishable. Wrap, unwashed, and store in plastic bag in refrigerator. Wash as needed. Note: Also called rocket or roquette. Overpowering flavor, so mix with milder greens. Flowers are edible.

BIBB (LIMESTONE) LETTUCE: Taste: Sweet, buttery. Look For: Small head, dark green leaves, which look like romaine. Store: Wash, wrap and put in plastic bag in refrigerator. Very sandy; submerge in water, separate leaves.

BOSTON (BUTTERHEAD) LETTUCE: Taste: Sweet, buttery. Look For: Large, pale green head; loose, tender leaves; white base. Store: Wash, wrap and refrigerate in plastic bag 3 to 5 days.

CHICORY (CURLY ENDIVE): Taste: Outer leaves bitter; inner leaves bitter sweet. Look For: Bushy head with slender, curly green leaves, pale heart. Store: WAsh,wrap and store in plastic bag in refrigerator, up to a week. Sandy, so wash well. Note: This has a strong flavor so mix with milder greens. Chicory and escarole are two varieties of the same plant but they look different. Curly endive's not the same as Belgian Endive, (witloof, white leaf or chicory), which is whitish because it's grown inthe dark.

DANDELION GREENS: Taste: Very bitter. Look For: thin, arrow shaped dark green leaves. Store: Use right away or wash, wrap and place in plastic bag in refrigerator, 1 to 2 days.

ESCAROLE: Taste: Bitter, heart is semisweet. Look For: Broad, smooth edge, dark green leaves; white to yellow heart; white to light brown butt end. Store: Wash, wrap and place in plastic bag in refrigerator, up to a week. Sandy, so wash well. Note: Related to chicory. Use inner leaves for salad. Outer leaves are best cooked.

RADICCHIO: Taste: Bitter. Look For: Purple red and white, compact round head with shiny, smooth ribbed leaves. Store: Do not wash. it will stary crisp one week inplastic bag in refrigerator. Wash leaves as needed. Note: Radicchio is Italian for chicory; also known as red chicory or Italian red lettuce.

ROMAINE (COS): Taste: Slightly bitter. Look For: Elongated, crispy green leaves that curl away from center, which is golden. Store: Wash leaves and lower inside ribs, wrap and store in plastic bag in refrigerator. Note: Head will be bitter if it's bolted and a stalk protrudes from the center.

SPINACH: Taste: Slightly bitter. Look For: Flat or crinkly, dark green leaves, long stems. Store: Remove tough stems; soak head and wash individual leaves to get sand out. Pat dry, store in plastic bag in refrigerator 2 to 3 days.

WATERCRESS: Taste: Peppery, spicy. Look For: Sprigs of crisp, round, small green leaves. Store: Wash, wrap and store in plastic bag in refrigerator; fragile; use within 2 days of purchase.

Source: Oregonian FoodDay; typos by Dorothy Flatman 1995

previous

next