BY ALL MEANS — GREENS!

By LISA LOSASSO BELL

There is a wide variety of greens available at local grocery stores and farm markets.

Now is a great time for fresh greens whether you buy them or grow them in your own garden.

For many people, summertime means quicker, lighter meals. We want to run and play and we’re on the go so much that we don’t want heavy meals weighing us down. Besides, less time standing over a hot stove is a welcome break.

If you don’t have your own garden, there is a wide variety of greens available at local grocery stores and farm markets.

Many people have found that growing their own lettuce is much more economical and even fun because they don’t have to go any farther than their own back yard. It is one of the easiest, fastest and earliest crops for home gardeners.

The four basic types of lettuce are crisphead, romaine, bibb and leaf.

According to the Ohio State University Extension, crisphead, which is most commonly found in grocery stores, is the most difficult to grow because it is intolerant of hot weather and requires a long growing period.

Romaine forms upright, cylindrical heads of tightly folded leaves and is the sweetest of the four types of lettuce.

The most common garden lettuces are bibb and leaf because they are the quickest and easiest to grow and there are many cultivars to choose from. It seems that the most difficult part of growing lettuce is deciding which kind to grow.

The possibilities are endless and the growing season is long. At mid- to late summer, the lettuce is still fresh because a lot of greens are cold-weather friendly.

Home grown lettuce doesn’t require much space, it doesn’t need to be started indoors and it doesn’t have many pests or diseases.

It can also be grown easily in containers and makes a pretty border for a flower garden.

Other greens include arugula, which is a fast-growing, cool-season green from the mustard family; cresses are known for their sharp, peppery or mustard-flavored leaves; endive and escarole have a slightly bitter taste and belong to the chicory family; m ¢che is a small, green, fist-sized rosette and is known for its delicate, flowery texture and flavor; and radicchio is a cabbage-like head with green outer wrapper leaves and dark-red interior leaves with white veins.

Salad greens can be served at room temperature or chilled. They can be mixed with other vegetables and served as a small side salad, or used as a bed for other types of salads such as tuna, chicken, shrimp or even potato.

More common greens include spinach, beet greens, kale, Swiss chard, and fennel. This type of green is usually prepared on it’s own as a side or as an ingredient in many bean, soup and pasta dishes.

Filling our diets with green leafy vegetables is important because they are packed with vitamins such as K, C, E and B, and minerals, such as iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. They increase our metabolism and keep our immune system strong.

Recipes from Area Cookbooks

Overnight Layered Salad

3 cups shredded lettuce

1‚Ñ2 cup sliced radishes

1‚Ñ2 cup celery, cut diagonally

2‚Ñ3 cup mayonnaise

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon dry mustard

2 cups shredded spinach

2 cups cubed chicken

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

In salad bowl, layer ingredients in following order: Half lettuce, half spinach, radishes, chicken, celery, remaining lettuce, remaining spinach, and cheese. Combine mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard. Spread evenly over top of salad. Cover and chill several hours or overnight. Garnish with sliced green onions. Toss just before serving.

Recipe contributed by Gail Drushel to Recipes to Remember: Personal Favorites Sponsored by Local 717 Women’s Committee, published in 2001

Wilted Lettuce

Red leaf lettuce

6 slices bacon

1‚Ñ3 cup vinegar

1 beef bouillon cube

1‚Ñ2 cup boiling water

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup sliced onion

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, crumble and set aside. Reserve half of drippings in the pan. Dissolve bouillon cube in water. Add bouillon, onions, vinegar, and pepper to pan. Bring to a boil. Toss with bacon and lettuce. Serves 4-6.

Recipe published in “A Taste of Heaven:”Bethel Lutheran Church, published in 2009

Some of my favorite recipes

Spanish Green Salad

1 large head romaine or Boston lettuce

1 bunch watercress

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large tomato

1 large onion, preferably Spanish

A few Spanish olives

Wash and dry the lettuce and watercress, discarding any damaged leaves and tough stems. Gently tear the lettuce leaves into even-size pieces and put them into a bowl with the watercress.

Make the dressing by mixing together the lemon juice, olive oil, and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Add this to the lettuce and watercress in the bowl and toss the salad gently, so that all of the leaves are coated in the dressing and glossy-looking; arrange the salad in a mound on a large plate. Slice the tomato into thin rounds; peel and thinly slice the onion; arrange these on top of the green salad, along with a few olives. Serve at once.

Recipe published in Vegetarian Dishes From Around the World, by Rose Elliot

Lasagna with Spinach and Cheese

About 4 ounces lasagna

1 pound spinach

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ricotta or low-fat cottage cheese

1‚Ñ4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

11‚Ñ2 cups grated Edam cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill half a large saucepan with salted water. When the water is boiling put in the strips of lasagna. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, until tender and drain.

While lasagna is cooking, wash and pick over spinach and place into a large saucepan; don’t add water, as the moisture still clinging to the spinach should be sufficient. Put a lid on the saucepan and cook for about 7-10 minutes, until it is tender. Drain and chop. Season with salt and pepper. Mix ricotta or cottage cheese with parmesan, eggs and salt and pepper.

Lightly grease your ovenproof dish and put half the spinach in the bottom of it. Follow with half of the cheese mixture. Spread a layer of lasagna evenly over the top and repeat layers. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown on top and hot and bubbly on the inside.

Recipe published in Vegetarian Dishes From Around the World, by Rose Elliot

Curly Endive Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

4 slices firm-textured white bread, crusts removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, one halved, one minced

1 slice thick-cut bacon

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

2 tablespoons each tarragon vinegar and water

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon black pepper

1‚Ñ8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

8 ounces curly endive, rinsed, patted dry and torn into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or chives

To make the crouton; preheat the broiler, setting the rack 6 inches from the heat. Brush both sides of the bread with the oil and place on a baking sheet. Toast the slices under the broiler for 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Rub both sides of each slice with the garlic halves. Cut bread into 1‚Ñ2-inch squares. Set aside.

In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, turning occasionally for 5 minutes or until crisp. With tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper toweling to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings in the skillet. Add the shallot and minced garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, over moderately low heat for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the vinegar, water, pepper, and salt and simmer, scraping the bottom of the skillet, for 30 seconds.

In a large bowl, combine the endive, tarragon and croutons. Crumble the bacon on top. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serves 4.

Recipe published in Readers Digest Live Longer Cookbook: 500 Delicious Recipes for Healthy Living

Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese Salad

For the dressing:

1‚Ñ3 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon grated orange rind

1‚Ñ8 teaspoon each salt and pepper, or to taste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or walnut oil

For the salad:

2 large pears, halved lengthwise and cored

2 teaspoons lemon juice

4 ounces arugula, watercress, or chicory, rinsed and patted dry

4 ounces goat cheese, cut into 8 slices

1‚Ñ3 cup pecan or walnut halves, toasted and chopped

Orange zest (colored part of the rind), blanched and slivered (optional garnish)

To prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, orange rind, salt and pepper; whisk in the oil. Or put all ingredients in small jar, cover tightly and shake until well blended.

To prepare the salad: Cut the pear halves lengthwise into 1‚Ñ2-inch slices and sprinkle with the lemon juice to prevent darkening. Arrange the arugula on 4 plates, top with the pears and goat cheese, and sprinkle with the nuts. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and if desired, garnish with orange zest.

Serves 4.

Recipe published in Readers Digest Live Longer Cookbook: 500 Delicious Recipes for Healthy Living

Greek Salad with Herb Vinaigrette

3 cups torn curly endive or romaine

11‚Ñ2 half cups torn spinach or iceberg lettuce

6 ounces cooked lean lamb or beef, cut into bite-size strips

1 medium tomato, chopped

1‚Ñ2 small cucumber, thinly sliced

6 radishes, sliced

2 tablespoons sliced pitted ripe olives

1‚Ñ2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1‚Ñ2 cup herb vinaigrette

3 anchovy fillets, drained, rinsed and patted dry (optional)

Toss together curly endive or romaine and spinach or lettuce. Divide greens among 3 salad plates.

Arrange meat strips, chopped tomato, sliced cucumber, sliced radishes, and olives on greens. Sprinkle with feta cheese and green onions. Shake herb vinaigrette well. Drizzle over salads. If desire, top with anchovy fillets. Makes 3 servings.

Herb Vinaigrette

In a screw-top jar combine:

1‚Ñ2 cup salad oil

1‚Ñ3 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons snipped fresh or one-half teaspoon dried thyme, oregano, or basil

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon paprika

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon dry mustard

1‚Ñ8 teaspoon pepper

Cover and shake well. Store dressing in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Shake well before using. Makes about three-quarters of a cup.

Recipe published in Better Homes and Gardens Easy Everyday Cooking by Carrie Holcomb