Fresh local greens return for spring in Healthy Beaver Bags
See basic technique for assembling a lettuce salad.
Ingredients:
Butter Lettuce – a mild sweet and smooth textured leafy green with rounder petal like leaves, Mustard Greens – a spicy leafy green, Cucumber, Red Onion, Carrot, Ranch dressing (or another dressing), Bread Croutons
Optional: Add a food with extra protein: Sliced hardboiled egg, black beans, seeds or nuts, cooked chicken
Instructions:
Quick version: Wash and chop the veggies into bite sized pieces. The largest volume, about 2/3 should be lettuce and smaller amounts of the other vegetables. Toss together and put in a bowl topping with a sliced hardboiled egg, croutons, and dressing.
Detailed version:
Wash and prep vegetables:
Butter Lettuce: Pull leaves of the butter lettuce from the bunch breaking off just above the root end. In a bowl or pan submerge in cold water to clean moving around the lettuce to let dirt or debris fall off to the bottom. Replace the water a couple of times to have a triple wash of your leaves. Shake or place on a clean towel or paper towel to dry a bit before use.
Storage tip: Use just how much you’d like to eat right away. Lettuce keeps better if it isn’t washed and if its root end is still attached, in the fridge in a bag. Washed lettuce can be stored in a bag or container with a damp clean paper towel in the fridge.
Mustard Greens: Wash by plunging in cold water to remove dirt. Let water drip away before using.
Cucumber: wash with water to remove dirt. Cut off ends. Cucumber can be sliced into rounds or any bite sized shape. It can be eaten with the peel or without.
Storage tip: Store cut end wrapped in the refrigerator. Slices or chopped cucumber can be stored sealed in the fridge. They will break down in a few days and should be used before then.
Red Onion: Brush off any dirt from the outside. Trim off the ends. Pull off the outer papery layer of onion. Slice from poles one end to the other to make very thin slices that can be separated and sprinkled over the salad.
Storage: An onion can be stored partially cut and tightly wrapped in the fridge. I would plan to use the rest in the next day or soon, the quality will decrease.
Carrot: Wash the exterior of the carrot scrubbing out any dirt. Cut off ends. Carrots can be peeled with a knife or veggie peeler, but it is not necessary. Chop into bite sized pieces, shred or slice.
Storage: carrot can be stored in a container refrigerated.
Assemble salad
Think about the flavors and textures of the different vegetables and your taste for them. If an ingredient is unfamiliar taste it first.
[Storage tip: A salad that is all combined will not store well. If you washed and prepped more than you want to eat right now. Store the components separately in the fridge and combine just before use]
In a bowl place mostly lettuce, top with mustard greens, sliced cucumber, finely sliced onion, and carrot.
Add on top dressing and toss to mix.
Add croutons to the top.
If you are adding a hardboiled egg, seeds, nuts, meat or chicken, add at the end.
Check out:
Minced Chicken Lettuce Wraps – another fun way to use butter lettuce! Recipe from SeriousEats
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/02/minced-chicken-in-lettuce-cups-recipe.html
How to wash and store lettuce to keep it fresh and crunchy From Food Network
https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/help-around-the-kitchen/how-store-lettuce
Butter Lettuce Facts
Mustard Greens Facts
https://harvesttotable.com/mustard_greensmustard_greens_c/
