Leafy Varieties

Vegetable Corner

As essential elements of any great meal, leafy greens and vegetables come in all shapes and sizes. And Good Seasons is ready to inspire you with new ideas for your leafy dishes as well as suggestions for selecting the perfect product to compliment your vegetables.

Arugula
Butterhead
Cabbage
Chard
Endive
Escarole
Iceberg
Kale
Leaf Lettuce
Mesclun
Radicchio
Romaine
Spinach
Watercress
Packaged
Supermarket

Arugula

Arugula, also known as rocket, is standard salad-bowl fare in Italy and southern France. It is also becoming increasingly popular in US restaurants and markets.

Look for Arugula with tender bright green leaves.
Arugula is pleasantly bitter with a slightly peppery mustard flavor.
To prepare, mix a little with other salad greens and toss with an oil-based dressing.

Butterhead Lettuce

Butterhead lettuce, whose best-known varieties are Boston and Bibb lettuce, is favored for its sweet, mild flavor and delicate texture.

Look for butterhead lettuce with small, round, loosely formed heads, pale green outer leaves and pale yellow inner leaves.
Butterhead lettuce tastes mildly sweet and succulent.
Add butterhead lettuce to other greens to give your salad a lighter color and tender bite. It’s equally delicious with creamy dressings and light vinaigrettes.

Cabbage

Heads of cabbage, whether green or red, are available throughout the year and always reliably flavorful.

Look for firm cabbage heads that are heavy for their size and exhibit crisp light green or purplish red leaves. We also highly recommend it’s citified cousins Savoy and Napa or some Asian relatives like bok choy.
Cabbage should taste pungent and slightly bitter.
Use cabbage in raw coleslaw recipes, preferably shredded and tossed with other salad greens and an Italian dressing. However, don’t be afraid to experiment. Cabbage can be cooked in a variety of ways as well as made into sauerkraut.

Chard

Chard, also known as Swiss chard, is distinguished by its large, dark green leaves and red or white stalks.

When purchasing chard, look for large, crinkly, deep green leaves. Some chard, frequently called red chard, has brilliant red stalks and veins. Other chard, known as green chard, possesses wider white stalks and veins.
Chard leaves have a beet-like flavor, while the stalks have a celery-like taste.
Use a little chard with other greens for a color and texture contrast. It’s also delicious when tossed with a light oil and vinegar dressing. Plus, chard leaves are delicious when cooked like spinach.

Endive

Belgian endive, probably the most popular of the endive family, is grown completely in the dark to prevent it from turning green.

Look for endive in tight bunches with narrow, pointed leaves. Endive leaves should be tender and creamy white with just the tips and outer edges yellow or pale green in color.
Endive tastes mildly bitter. As a rule of thumb, the paler the endive, the milder the flavor.
Use just a handful of endive to dress up everyday salads. You can also spoon crabmeat or tuna salad into the center for a pretty presentation.

Escarole

Escarole, another member of the endive family, is bigger, greener and milder than Belgian endive.

Healthy escarole leaves are broad with ruffled edges. When opened up, the head reveals leaves that transition from firm and dark green on the outside to tender and pale green on the inside.
Escarole is pleasant and mild when eaten.
Use escarole with other greens to provide a variety of color, texture and flavor. It can also be cooked in soups or sautéed as a vegetable.

Kale

As a member of the cabbage family, kale is another green that offers an abundance of nutritional value.

Kale has a loosely formed head with dark green frilly leaves, which may be laced with a bluish purple or white.
Kale is relatively mild, leaving a delicate cabbage flavor on the palate.
When cooking with kale, add a small amount dressed with light vinaigrette to everyday salads. It’s also a nice garnish for tuna or egg salad.

Iceberg Lettuce

Iceberg lettuce is a perennial favorite that works in any salad.

Look for iceberg lettuce with large, round, compact heads that are tender yet firm with pale green leaves.
Iceberg lettuce has a mild taste, while the texture is crisp and crunchy.
Use this classic green as the foundation for any salad. It goes quite well with all dressings, especially creamy versions such as Ranch, French or Thousand Island.

Leaf Lettuce

Leaf lettuce is quite possibly the most popular type of salad green, enjoyed for its universally appealing taste and texture as well as its attractive appearance.

Leaf lettuce should sport tender, slightly ruffled leaves, which vary in color from medium to dark green to red-tipped.
The taste of leaf lettuce is full-flavored but mild.
Leaf lettuce is best when used either on its own or mixed with more assertive greens and tossed with a variety of dressings.

Mesclun

Mesclun is a stylish array of designer greens. The mixture, which got its start in restaurants, varies depending on the season and the supplier but typically consists of arugula, frisee (a slender, spiky member of the chicory family), oak leaf lettuce, radicchio, baby greens and sometimes-edible flowers and whole herb leaves.

Shop for mesclun with tender, crisp leaves that show no sign of wilting.
The taste of mesclun depends on the mix, but it’s usually on the bittersweet side.
Use a handful of mesclun with regular greens for an interesting flavor and texture contrast.

Radicchio

Radicchio, the flamboyant redhead, is the Italian word for chicory, the family of greens from which it comes.

Look for radicchio with small compact heads, deep red leaves and crisp white veins.
Radicchio is slightly bitter and peppery in taste.
Use radicchio with other salad greens for color and excitement. You can also use the outer leaves as "dishes" for other ingredients, while the halves are delicious when grilled and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.

Romaine

Romaine is a crisp, robust green that is just right for everyday salads yet sophisticated enough for Caesar himself.

Look for romaine with an elongated head, large, tender, medium to dark green outer leaves and pale green inner leaves with crunchy center ribs.
Romaine tastes slightly bitter and succulent.
To prepare romaine, toss it with Caesar dressing for a simple Caesar salad. You can also feature its distinctive crunch by combining it with other greens.

Spinach

Spinach is a versatile, nutritious green that has been cultivated since ancient times.

Healthy spinach has tender dark green leaves that can be crinkled or smooth and features a fresh, but not too strong, scent.
When eaten, spinach tastes slightly bitter.
Spinach can be cooked a number of ways, but it’s always delicious when used raw in salads with other hearty ingredients, such as bacon or hard-boiled eggs, both of which stand up to its strong flavor. It can also be tossed with sweet dressings and/or fruits for a pleasant contrast.

Watercress

Watercress is not a garden green. It is grown in water and is usually found displayed as such in the produce market.

Look for watercress that feature bouquet-like bunches with dark green, dime-sized leaves on 8″ to 10″ stems.
Watercress is pungent and slightly peppery in taste.
To prepare, mix watercress with other greens in salads, layer it in sandwiches or cook it in soups.

Packaged Greens

Packaged greens are ready when and where you need them and serve as a quick and convenient way to enjoy salads.

Look for packaged greens with a single or combination of greens. Check the expiration or use-by date and make sure the leaves appear fresh with no brown spots.
Use packaged combinations of greens that suggest the appropriate dressing. Thus, pair a Mediterranean blend with Italian-style dressings and a Caesar blend with Caesar dressing.

Supermarket Salad Bar Greens

Supermarket salad bar greens are a simple way to get greens into your diet, since the supermarket has already done the selecting and chopping for you. They’re marvelous either for a working lunch or a light, quick dinner before you head off to your after-work activities.

Look for salad bar greens that appear fresh and tender and free of brown spots or wilted leaves.
Experiment with greens gathered at the supermarket salad bar to try out new types of leaves, lettuces and different dressings.

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