Garden salad

There are many variations Garden salads, they are always offered fresh, are usually nice and crunchy and fill you up without being heavy on the stomach. The garden salads include, for example, lettuce, iceberg, oak leaf and romaine lettuce as well as Lollo Bianco and Lollo Rosso. Garden salads are also known as leafy vegetables, so they can be eaten raw or heated. The seasonal outdoor offers should generally be preferred because their sensitive ingredients are then still the most complete.

What you should know about garden lettuce

Botanically, garden lettuce belongs to the daisy family. The most commonly eaten and most produced is the well-known lettuce, also called "butter lettuce". As a so-called Landtag plant, it is grown in spring, autumn and winter so that it can form its small, cup-shaped flowers from June to August.

Most of the time, however, it is harvested long before the flowering period, because when it "shoots" it grows up in a pyramid shape, loses its head shape and becomes unpleasantly bitter to eat. For the production in summer, therefore, mostly day-neutral varieties are used that do not flower despite long summer days and thus develop the typical head of lettuce.

Many variations of garden salads were already grown in ancient times. From Egypt it spread over the Roman and Greek world. The first relief records show that it was known 4,500 years ago. Garden lettuce has been cultivated from the wild lettuce in the Caucasus. It was not until the Middle Ages that it was spread to Central Europe by Charlemagne, where it was initially only consumed cooked. Today garden lettuce is produced worldwide. The main growing areas and main producers in Europe are mainly Italy, France, Holland, Belgium, Spain and Germany. Garden lettuce is produced outdoors, in a greenhouse or as a tunnel cultivation, so it can be kept fresh all year round. However, it is best to enjoy outdoor salads because they contain most of the good nutrients.

In summer, garden salads belonging to the lactuca or lettuce group, such as ice cream, lettuce and batavia lettuce from outside, are in season. Because these three form a fairly firm head, all three are usually referred to as lettuce. In salads of the lettuce group, a milky juice escapes when the stalk and leaves are cut. A special breed of lettuce is the larger iceberg lettuce. It established itself very quickly and found many fans because it is always crisp and stays fresh longer. Its fleshy, juicy leaves vary from yellow to dark green - now there are also red varieties. Lettuce has not only been available in green for a long time, but also as a red variant. It does not contain any bitter substances and has a shorter shelf life. With its neutral taste, it can be prepared in many ways.

The batavia lettuce is bred from lettuce and ice cream. Its taste is spicier than lettuce and iceberg lettuce. Its curled leaves vary according to the variety and season, with yellowish, green, reddish brown or green with reddish edges.

In late summer and autumn, the classic endive or frisée salad, with their bitter and aromatic taste, are on offer. From May to October, varieties such as oak leaf lettuce, Kraussalat, Frillice, Lollo Rossa and Lollo Bionda with their tasty, crinkled leaves from the field are offered. In the winter half of the year, the greenhouse offers crosses of Batavia and oak leaf, as well as crosses of lettuce and romaine or ice-cream salad.

Since these varieties do not form heads, but rather grow as individual leaves from rosettes, they are known as pick and cut salads. These are old names from the times of self-harvest, when just as many leaves were harvested as were needed for a meal, because the leaves grow back twice after the first cut. Freshly harvested garden salads naturally offer a special taste experience. With their crisp ribs and tender leaves on them, they have a nutty, mild aroma.

Importance to health

The green leaves of garden lettuce contain many healthy plant substances that, among other things, reduce the risk of diabetes. The red leaves contain more anthocyanins than phytochemicals, they belong to the flavonoids and are cancer preventive.

Garden lettuce provides the body with plenty of phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phytosterols, polyphenols or carotenoids that prevent cardiovascular diseases. It is certain that the secondary compounds have a positive effect on health, because they have been shown to protect against arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure. Even if garden lettuce consists of over 90 percent water, there is still enough space for the amount of vitamins the body needs. Garden lettuce contains folic acid in fairly high concentrations. It is important for cell division and blood formation, as is the precursor of vitamin A, beta carotene, which protects against skin aging and is important for the eyes.

To ensure that the body is supplied with full nutrients, garden salads should best be eaten in the months when they are in season, because the health benefits are much higher the fresher the leaves are. In the spring it is Batavia and all green salads, lettuce are grown outside from May to November.

In the cold season, for example, varieties such as chicory, lamb's lettuce or radicchio are considered to be particularly rich in vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients & nutritional values

In addition to its high water content, garden lettuce also contains carbohydrates, proteins, fat, minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium. The blood-forming trace element iron as well as the vitamins pro-vitamins A for maintaining normal vision, a lot of vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin E and niacin.

The darker the leaves are in color, the more ingredients they contain. Most types of garden lettuce have a very low energy content, just 15 to 20 kilocalories per 100 grams. The dietary fiber contained in the salad swells in the intestines, filling them sufficiently and having a positive effect on digestion. Its relatively high potassium content and low sodium content also contribute positively to the purification of the body.

Intolerances & allergies

Garden salads are vital substance bombs, but people with sensitive digestive systems shouldn't eat them after about 4 p.m. Painful gases in the stomach and intestines can result from fermentation of proteins and carbohydrates. The body heat promotes this process, a distended gas belly with an uncomfortable feeling of fullness is the consequence.

Shopping & kitchen tips

Garden lettuce should only be bought or harvested when needed, because it wilts quickly and breaks down a lot of its valuable ingredients within a short time. The stalk should look fresh and light, dark cut surfaces show that it is not fresh. The leaves must not hang, they must look juicy and crisp.

It stays fresh for a few days in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator without losing its nutrients. When cut or partially defoliated, it is best stored in a plastic container or a damp cloth.

Preparation tips

Garden salad harmonizes ideally with a vinaigrette or a yogurt dressing. It can also be wonderfully combined with eggs, poultry, cucumber, tomatoes, onions or avocado. It is also ideal as a main course with ingredients such as fish, meat or vegetables.