Contents
Lettuces
Butter Lettuce
Chicory
A common roadside weed with blue flowers, the root of which is
sometimes used to adulterate coffee or as a coffee substitute. There is,
however, a highly prized domesticated version called
Belgian Endive.
Cos - see Romain.
Endive ()
A group of letuces in the Chicory group.
Another name for Escarole and also for
Frisée. See also
Belgian Endive, an entirely different plant.
Endive, Belgian (Witloof, French Endive)
This slightly bitter letuce (Cichorium intybus) is grown in
darkness to prevent it from turning green because green it becomes
unpleasantly bitter. This explains the rather high price, but the
flavor/texture combination just can't be found elsewhere and is essential
to some recipes.
Endive, Curly (Frisée)
A plant from India (Cichorium endivia) valued as a salad green.
Endive, French - see Endive, Belgian.
Frisée - see Endive, Curley.
.
Green Leaf Lettuce
This is pretty much your generic loose leaf lettuce. The leaves are much
less stiff than Romaine and the bitterness is very
moderate.
Iceburg Lettuce
The common supermarket lettuce which forms a firm head similar to a
cabbage. This lettuce takes up less storage space and is more durable in
transportation which has made it commercially desirable. The downside is
flavor, in which it is largely lacking compared to loose leaf lettuces. Use
it where the firm texture is required (lettuce wedges, for instance) and
select a more flavorful lettuce where that texture is not required.
Red Leaf Lettuce
This is actually pretty much the same as Green Leaf
Lettuce except the leaves have a reddish tint at the top.
Romaine (Cos)
The most common form of loose leaf lettuce. The slightly bitter leaves
are considerably stiffer than most other lettuces making them a favorite
for lining bowels and wrapping.
Witloof Chicory - see Endive, Belgian.
Sunflowers
Jeruselem Artichoke
"Sunchokes" as they are called in California are the root tubers of a
variety of sunflower. This plant is aggressively productive but the tubers
have been prevented from becoming a major food crop by being one
of the most powerful flatulence producers known to man. If you intend to
enter a farting contest this is the breakfast of champions. They also
turn grey soon after cooking because of the high iron content.
Both the flatulence and greying problems can be reduced thanks to
research by Harold McGee published in The Curious Cook. Slice the
Sunchokes and then boil them in lots of water for at least 15 minutes before
using them in a recipe. In the last 5 minutes add a good dollop of lemon
juice or citric acid to the water (if you add it at start of boiling the
slices will be firmer, but may be firmer than you want).
The "Artichoke" part of the name comes from the cooked root tasting much
like artichoke heart. The Jeruselem part is probably a distortion of the
name of the Dutch town of Terneuzen from which they were imported into England.
It is unlikely to have derived from "gerasole", the Italian name for sunflower
as sunflowers were not so called until years after the English started
using the "Jeruselem" name.
Sunchoke - see Jeruselem Artichoke.
Thistle
Cardoons
The large fleshy stems of a thistle closely related to the Globe
Artichoke, widely used as a vegetable in France and
Italy. The taste is complex, interesting and artichoke-like - if you have
developed a taste for slightly bitter vegetables (a worthwhile taste to
develop).
Cardoons are best pre-cooked before using in recipes. Cut the stalks
into lengths of about 3" to 4" and remove any outer leaves (very bitter)
leaving only the most tender in the center. Put in a pot and add water to
cover well. For a 3# bunch, add to the water 2 t of salt and 1/2 t citric
acid or the juice of a lemon. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender,
about 25 minutes. Drain, cool and refrigerate until needed.
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Sunflowers