Move Over, Romaine!

 

Lettuce doesn't usually come to mind when thinking of nutritious foods, but some varieties are actually a good source of folate, vitamin C, A, and K, with decent amounts of minerals, antioxidants and fiber.  That said, we are not talking about the pale iceberg lettuce so plentiful in supermarkets, which is lowest on the lettuce totem pole of nutrients.

Romaine is usually listed as the most nutritious variety, but this is not always the case.  For one thing, the lines separating lettuce varieties are growing more and more murky.  Modern lettuce breeders have produced hundreds of new varieties.  There are romaines crossed with leaf lettuces, with butterheads and crisp heads.  There are red romaines, speckled and splotched romaines and varieties in every shade of green.  Some have open heads, some form tightly closed domes.  When lettuce leaves curve inward and form a solid head, less sunlight reaches the center.  Light produces pigment and chlorophyll, which is where the nutrients are.  So those pale, crunchy, mild tasting hearts of romaine, delicious as they are, are not as nutritious as an open headed leaf lettuce, which remains deeply colored to the base because it receives more light.  The pay off is that leaf lettuces get bitter faster, as bitterness is a response to increased light, heat and the maturation process.  Keeping lettuce well watered and picking it promptly helps avoid this.

I have been growing some of the romaine/leaf crosses, which have more open heads and deep color along with those wonderful crunchy ribs.  I also like growing red lettuces.  Not only are they fabulous to look at, they contain potent antioxidants called anthocyanins which help protect against cancer.

But my top pick for flavor, nutrients, heartiness and productivity is an ancient form of lettuce from China called celtuce.  Unlike other lettuces, celtuce is grown for its stalk as well as the leaves.

There are a number of varieties, my favorite being Red Mountain Celtuce.

Red Mountain Celtuce seeds are available from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

It has the deepest green color blushed with red, gets quite large and has a very unusual flavor, unlike any other lettuce.  I like to steam or simmer the leaves just slightly, till they wilt. They turn as deep a green as spinach, and the water they're cooked in makes a lovely, dark red broth.  The stalks are wonderful peeled and sliced in salads, steamed or stir fried with other vegetables.  They can be spiralized to make green noodles, but cook them only briefly, else they will loose their crispness.

Celtuce stalks have more fiber and folate than leaf lettuces, and almost twice the amount of vitamin C. 100 grams contains 3,500 IU vitamin A, or 117% of the daily requirement.  It's also higher in potassium and manganese.

Another form of celtuce which does very well in hot weather is called sword leaf.  It's paler green and grows to an enormous size.  The leaves are tender and buttery.

Sword leaf lettuce seeds are available from Southern Exposure and Kitazawa Seeds.

I also grow head lettuces. Nothing beats the tender crunch of well grown crisp heads.  They may not be the most nutritious variety, but after all, variety is the spice of life!