1. ICEBERG
Fantastic crunch and a sweet flavour. Juicy and versatile. Good with hot or cold food. Try it with burgers or fill the leaves with spicy chicken or veg for a healthy twist on fajitas.
A pale, round, tightly packed lettuce which has crisp leaves with a refreshing flavour.
British Iceberg lettuce is available from May through to October and reaches the stores less than 24 hours after picking. It stays fresh longer than any other type of lettuce, if kept at a constant cool temperature.
2. LITTLE GEM
A firm hearted lettuce with a sweet flavour that can be used in so many ways. Ideal for scooping dips, and can be served torn, sliced or served as wedges. Also fantastic braised in chicken or vegetable stock, served warm.
A smaller, compact variety of cos lettuce. The rich, outer leaves and delicate inner leaves are crisp, with a sweet flavour. Simply halve or quarter the spear-shaped heads lengthways or separate into individual leaves.
3. LOLLO ROSSO ALSO KNOWN AS LOLLA ROSSA
Vibrant frilly green red leaves and a subtle, mild flavour. Its leaves are soft and pliable making them good as wraps. Delicious with fish and looks great on the plate paired with white fish so the leaves really stand out.
A non-hearting loose-leaf lettuce, Lollo Rosso has fringed and crinkled leaves that are tinged deep red at their ends, with a fairly tender, yet crisp texture. The depth of colour varies with each variety. It contains the antioxidant quercetin, which is believed to reduce the risk of heart disease.
4. WATERCRESS
Bags of flavour with a citrusy, spicy onion taste. A good match for buttery spinach. Great with fish and you can whip up a sauce for salmon fillets in moments by blending watercress, crème fraiche and lemon juice. CDC score 100 – Watercress is high in vitamins A, C, and K and very low in calories. It is linked to a lower risk of type-2 diabetes.
A member of the Cruciferae family, watercress has a distinctive ‘raw’ flavour, both peppery and slightly pungent. Watercress is the UK’s most historic salad leaf and, unlike other salad leaves, is grown in gravel beds, washed by flowing mineral rich spring water.
The ancient Greeks called watercress kardamon and believed it could brighten their intellect, hence their proverb “Eat watercress and get wit”. The leaf is popularly eaten in soup and salads, as well as frequently featuring as an ingredient in detox juices. For more details visit www.watercress.co.uk.
5. ROMAINE / COS
The signature lettuce for a Caesar salad. Great crunch and a refreshing, aromatic flavour. To make a simple Caesar salad simply tear up some leaves and make a dressing from mayonnaise, a dash of white wine vinegar and shavings of parmesan then finish with some crunchy croutons.
Cos, or Romaine lettuces as they are also known, have a long, oval head of tightly packed crisp leaves. They are rich in potassium and also contain carotenoids. Cos is so called as it is believed to have originated on the Greek Island of Kos.
6. ROCKET
Adds punch and pepperiness. Can be served cold as a salad or warm stirred into pasta and risottos. It complements cheese and tomatoes. Try topping a pizza with rocket just before serving for added flavour.
Thought to originate from southern Europe, rocket is very versatile and great served cold in salads, wilted in pasta or on top of a pizza. Also known as arugula, ruccola and roquette, this thin spiky leaf has a strong peppery flavour and has long had a role in Italian cookery. Dioscorides (40-90AD), the Greek physician and pharmacologist, described the leaf as ‘a digestive and good for ye belly’. It also contains compounds called Glucosinolates which are believed to have a possible protective role against certain types of cancers.
7. RED CHARD
A striking red stem with small, dark leaves. The leaves keep their shape and it can be used like spinach and added to stir-fries and in warm salads. The dramatic colour makes it a great partner with the vivid orange of butternut squash or sweet potato.
8. BABY LEAF SPINACH
Earthy and buttery, spinach complements a wide range of foods and you can enjoy it raw or cooked. Particularly good with cream or tomato based dishes. Try stirring it into a soup, curry or a tomato pasta sauce, or enjoy on spinach on its own sautéed with butter and garlic.
Young spinach leaves are tender and sweet and are delicious raw or cooked. Eating raw spinach, such as in a salad, minimises the loss of nutrients, which occurs during cooking. Thought to originate from the Mediterranean, spinach is a member of the goosefoot family, which also includes Swiss chard, table beet and leaf beet. The fresh, leafy taste is especially delicious with egg, tomato and lentil dishes.
CDC Score 86.43 – Spinach is one of the most nutrient dense salad leaves. It’s packed with vitamins and nutrients, particularly potassium and iron, which are both important for regulating blood cells and blood pressure.
9. ENDIVE
Endive is a member of the chicory family and shares its crisp texture and nutty, bitter flavour. It can be served raw or cooked and works well with sweet dressings such as honey and mustard.
This is a spiky firm textured leaf, which is mildly bitter with a slight grainy texture. Also known as curly endive, frisee is a form of chicory, and belongs to the Compositae or daisy family. Traditionally this is combined with poached eggs and bacon in the classic French bistro salad and, mixed with other leaves, provides a great and robust bed for a variety of hot ingredients.
10. RADICCHIO
Like Endive Radicchio is a member of the Chicory family. It has firm, bright purple leaves with a white stem and veins. It has a bitter flavour which is great with sweeter lettuces such as iceberg, romaine and round butterhead lettuce, and goes well with soft, rich cheeses like baked camembert or as an alternative to chicory in a pear and blue cheese salad.
11. ROUND / BUTTERHEAD
The UK’s oldest type of lettuce, the green butterhead has soft, bright green leaves and as the name suggests; a mild, buttery taste with a floral like quality. Enjoy with other delicate flavours such as white fish, chicken or vegetables.
12. ESCAROLE
Bright green with large frilly leaves, this lettuce is perfect for tearing and has a sweet flavour with a slightly acidic finish. Its frilly leaves are great for mopping up sauces and dressings; it’s also a good one to have with a roast chicken for a lighter take on a Sunday roast.
13. RED CHARD
Red Chard is a member of the Swiss Chard family and is also available with many other stem colours. The name chard actually refers to the broad middle stalks and the side ribs rather than the leafy part of the plant. Ideal for brightening up salads, red chard has a distinct flavour and, when young, can be treated like spinach and eaten raw or cooked.
14. BATAVIA
Batavia lettuce is a non-hearty lettuce with frilly leaves. Its crunchy nutty flavoured leaves grow upright to form a loose leaf head. Batavias have an excellent shelf life, maintaining their crispness from the time they’re harvested until the time they reach the dinner table.
15. TATSOI
A true brassica, tatsoi is a form of Chinese flat cabbage. Lustrous dark green leaves have a delicate mustard flavour with a crunchy but succulent and juicy stalk. In the same family as Pak Choi, this Asian green is delicious sautéed with a little sesame oil or slightly wilted in stir fries.
16. LAMBS LETTUCE
Lambs lettuce, also known as Corn Salad, has soft dark green leaves that are great in salads and can also be served lightly steamed with meat or fish.
17. OAK LEAF LETTUCE
Oak leaf is similar in texture to Lollo Rosso. It has very attractive serrated, deep-green leaves often tinged with red at the tips. Tear up the leaves and use them to add a bit of extra colour in salads.
18. MIZUNA
Often found in salad mixes Mizuna is a Japanese bred member of the Brassica family. It has a light green leaf with serrated edges with a soft texture and mild tangy, mustard flavour. It adds a distinctive flavour to stir fries or salads.
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