Green Salad Plants
- Iceberg lettuce is likely the most familiar type of head lettuce. The leaves are light green and form a head 6 to 8 inches in diameter. The leaves are firm and crisp with a bland flavor. Romaine lettuce is the basis for Caesar salad. It has oblong-shaped dark green leaves with a prominent rib down the center. The taste is strong but not overpowering. The flavor stands up to the mustard, lemon juice, anchovies and Parmesan cheese in Caesar salad dressing.
- Plain green cabbage is the basis of coleslaw, but there are other cabbages to use in salads and slaws. Use young cabbages or the tender inner leaves. Savoy has crinkled leaves and forms a loose, oblong head that looks somewhat like romaine. Purple cabbage is a dark purple on the outside of the leaves and very light green on the inside. When you cut the leaf you see both colors. Young bok choy, a green used in Asian dishes, has a crunchy texture. Don't use the mature leaves in salads, as they're too tough.
- Baby leaves of various lettuces are called mesclun. It's often sold loose by the pound or packaged prewashed in bags. The leaves are no more than 2 to 3 inches long. Leaf lettuces when allowed to mature form a loose head with the leaves in a rosette shape. Frisee has feathery leaves that are darker green at the edges and lighter green in the center. Oak leaf lettuce is shaped like an oak leaf. The leaves may be red or bright green. Butter lettuce has a soft texture. The leaves don't break when you roll them. Use for wraps instead of tortillas.
- Leafy greens such as spinach are harvested for use in salads as well as cooked. Baby beet greens have a sweet taste just like the beets. Arugula, also called Italian rocket, tastes nutty and is served both cooked and raw. Watercress grows in or near water. When harvesting in the wild, make sure the body of water isn't in a pasture with grazing lifestock. Their wastes may contaminate the water source.