Today, we are looking at a winter classic: lamb’s lettuce. It’s one of the healthiest types of salad around, being particularly rich in provitamin A. Read on to discover why it’s lovingly regarded as a wintertime highlight.
Lamb’s lettuce goes by several other lesser-known names including corn salad, field salad and rapunzel, and it’s full of good things. This winter salad vegetable offers us more iron than any other type of lettuce, and also contains four times as much vitamin A and three times as much vitamin C as normal green lettuce. Its high magnesium content strengthens the heart and the immune system, while its essential oils are gentle on the stomach.
It is mainly harvested, sold and eaten in the wintertime because it can withstand frosts; not something you would expect from lettuce. However, this dark green, soft-textured vegetable should not be harvested whilst frozen; temperatures should have risen above freezing before picking, otherwise it will wilt and not recover. Lamb’s lettuce is readily available in the supermarkets and should be refrigerated to keep it fresh after purchase. In a refrigerator it will remain fresh for up to 7 days and, in a Liebherr BioFresh compartment, it can be safely stored for up to 19 days.
Great taste, the easy way
With a naturally nutty flavour, lamb’s lettuce is delicious to eat with bacon, smoked fish or nuts, and is also a great accompaniment for apples or pears. When preparing lamb’s lettuce make sure that you remove the delicate roots and, to prevent the leaves from wilting, add any dressing just before serving. Let your creativity abound and combine this winter delight with anything you like – bon appétit!
What do you usually call lamb’s lettuce? And what’s your favourite way to eat it? Please feel free to use the comment function below this post or start/join in discussions with us on Facebook and Twitter.