Plus, you can even use them to make tea. These scooped leaves work especially well with dips or as shells that can be filled with chicken, shrimp, or beef. This popular lettuce is found in most pre-mixed salads at the grocery store, thanks to its affordable nature, crisp texture, and subdued flavor. Exceedingly popular in the past few years, kale is a bitter leafy green that, while not technically a lettuce it's actually in the cabbage family , is still worth mentioning. This one might seem a little confusing, given all lettuces feature leaves, but leaf lettuce is known for its looser-packed leaves that come in a variety of red and green.

In terms of flavor, they range from mild to spicy. This soft, crunchy lettuce works wonderfully as a wrap. Its light flavors pairs well with all dressings. These small, dark green leaves come in clusters of four or five. Mix it in with other lettuces for a versatile salad full of flavor. Mesclun literally means mix. As such, it features a mixture of greens in different shapes, flavors, and sizes. The result is a unique flavor that changes from bite to bite.

This burgundy lettuce is also referred to as Italian chicory. If you prefer a sweeter flavor for your greens, try roasting or grilling radicchio first, then adding to your dish. It's larger and fluffier than Bibb, but both types of lettuce make perfect cups for cooked ground chicken or shrimp.

Bibb, on the other hand, is sweet and extra small a head is the size of a fist! It's also quite expensive — at least twice the price of iceberg. It's not technically "lettuce," but a cup of this cruciferous vegetable contains an entire day's worth of vitamin A and C , plus all-important calcium and iron. And if you're not a fan of the somewhat bitter taste, roasting the leaves with a little olive oil might be the way to go.

Homemade kale chips, anyone? Also called rocket or Italian cress, this peppery-tasting salad green balances out lemony dressings and even goes great in pesto , on top of pizza, or stuffed in a sandwich.

Versatile baby spinach packs in powerful, heart-healthy nitrates that can help improve cholesterol and reduce your risk of chronic disease. Sneak more into your diet by eating it with eggs , chicken , and stir-frys. Here's another veg that goes by multiple names, including leaf chicory and Italian chicory.

Purple-colored radicchio pronounced "rah-dick-ee-yo" can taste bitter fresh but sweeter when grilled or roasted. A relative of radicchio, endives easily scoop up toppings with their spoon-shaped leaves or shine solo when roasted with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar.

Product Reviews. Home Ideas. United States. Damaged cut lettuce leaves release an ascorbic acid oxidase, which destroys vitamin C. Cut edges also discolor quickly. Dry leaves before serving. Salad dressing will cling to dry lettuce leaves instead of sinking to the bottom of the salad bowl.

Toss with your favorite dressing just before serving or serve dressing on the side Lettuce leaves covered with dressing will quickly wilt. Due to the extremely high water content, Lettuce does not respond well to freezing, canning or drying. For optimal nutritional value, lettuce should be eaten while it is fresh and crisp.

The mild flavor of fresh lettuce leaves are well complimented by fresh or dry herbs. The base of most green salads is lettuce. Two or three lettuce varieties are good for both taste and texture. Mix leaf lettuce Black-seed Simpson or Oak Leaf with crisp lettuce romaine or other crisphead and accent with fresh herb leaves. The simplest way to appreciate a tossed green salad is with a vinaigrette dressing. Keep it simple. When the dressing becomes too complicated, the mild garden greens can be overpowered.

Wash and dry lettuce leaves. Tear into bite size pieces. Place in an oversized bowl with room for tossing. Place in refrigerator until ready to toss and serve. Can be prepared up to 2 hours in advance. Makes one cup of vinaigrette. Pour 4 tablespoons of vinaigrette over the greens and toss well with two large forks to coat.

Add crumbled cheese, if desired and toss to combine. Serve immediately. Yields 4 one-cup servings. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until combined well. This vinaigrette will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Recipe may be doubled. Makes one cup. Combine the juices and salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oils until incorporated. A blender or food processor may also be used. Pour into a glass jar and seal. Serve over your favorite salad greens. The vinaigrette will keep, tightly covered, for a week in the refrigerator. To warm cold vinaigrette, place jar in a bowl of hot tap water for a few minutes. Using a whisk or fork, in a small bowl combine all ingredients except the oil.

Slowly add the oil, whisking vigorously, until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Pour over your favorite salad greens and toss. Store remaining vinaigrette in the refrigerator, in a tightly sealed glass jar, for up to one week. To warm cold vinaigrette, place jar in a small bowl of hot tap water for a few minutes.

University of Illinois Extension. Recommended Varieties Green Leaf Black-seeded Simpson earliest to harvest Grand Rapids frilly edges; good for coldframes, greenhouse, garden Oak Leaf resistant to tipburn; good for hot weather Red Leaf Red Fire ruffles with red edge; slow to bolt Red Sails slowest bolting red leaf lettuce Ruby darkest red of all; resistant to tipburn Cos or Romaine Cimmaron unique, dark red leaf, Cos type Green Towers early; dark green, large leaves Paris Island long-standing Heading or Crisphead Great Lakes standard, holds well in warm weather Iceburg medium, size, tender hearts; leaf edges tinged light brown Ithaca tolerates heat; resists bitterness; slow to bolt Stem or Asparagus Celtuce When to Plant Leaf, Cos and Butterhead lettuce can be planted anytime in the spring when the soil is dry enough to rake the surface.

Care Because lettuce has shallow roots, it should be hoed or cultivated carefully. Harvesting Leaf lettuce may be cut whenever it is large enough to use. Why didn't my lettuce seeds germinate? My lettuce tastes bitter. What can I do? Home Preservation Due to the extremely high water content,