Romaine lettuce
Lactuca sativa
Other names
Cos lettuce
Similar veggies:
Lettuce, endive
A quick introduction
Romaine lettuce is a crunchy kind of lettuce that grows in a cone shape. It can be either bright green or red. The smaller varieties are often sold as 'little gems' but we mostly grow bigger heads. Romaine lettuce has a sturdier texture than your average lettuce head and can therefore also be used in cooked preparations. Try throwing halved romaine lettuces on the grill and you'll be in for a treat!
Storage
Romaine lettuce will keep for a few days in the vegetable drawer of the fridge.
Season
Spring to fall
Suggestions for preparation
We love the crunchy texture of romaine lettuce and like to use it to make all kinds of salads, particularly Caesar salad. If you're not a big fan of salads we recommend you try to grill halved romaine lettuce heads. Alternatively, the leaves can also be grilled separately and used to wrap goat cheese or labneh (strained yogurt) flavoured with preserved lemon and za'atar.
Recipes
In need of salad inspiration? Here are Stadsgroenteboer Andres' basic guidelines to make a filling salad:
Make sure you have at least a few of the ingredient types below:
-Crunchy & juicy elements like kohlrabi, carrots, turnips.
-Spicy elements such as mustard greens, rucola or radishes.
-Green elements like carrot greens, lettuce and radish tops (if very tender).
-Spring onions, chives or young garlic.
-Filling elements like roasted sunflower seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sprouts, tofu or mushrooms
-Some delicious edible flowers such as nasturtiums, borage or rucola flowers.
-A vinaigrette with good olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and whatever else you like.
And voilá, there you have your salad!