Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is a familiar veggie from the daisy family Asteraceae. Plentiful in the spring, early summer and fall, lettuce hates hot weather and won't often appear in shares during the summer. While often overlooked as a healthy food, lettuce actually provides a great amount of vitamins K, C and lutein. Many types of lettuce are grown here, including such cultivars as Romaine/Cos, Looseleaf in Green, Red or Speckled, and Butterheads such as Bibb and Boston varieties. We also grow lettuce and mesclun mixes which are snipped as baby leaves.
To use farm lettuce, try soaking leaves in cold water, rinsing a few times to remove grit, and drying a little before use. Salad spinners are so worth it here. Store unused lettuce in an unsealed plastic bag in the fridge and use as soon as possible.
