At this time of year, you can have a glut of lettuce in the veggie patch. There is only so much salad you can eat and raw lettuce does not freeze well. However, COOKED Lettuce does freeze and it tastes delicious too! You can cook it lightly in a steamer as greens or you can make into soup. Here are 2 tasty recipes that I found in a 1994 book entitled “The Kitchen Pharmacy” by Rose Elliot and Carlo de Paoli. I have tried them both and they are delicious!
SUMMER LETTUCE SOUP
1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 onion, peeled and chopped;
750g potatoes peeled and diced; 450g outside leaves of lettuce;
1 litre of stock or water; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;
single cream (optional); chopped fresh herbs.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Then put in the onion and potatoes. Stir, then cover and cook over a gentle heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add the lettuce, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes. Next, pour in the stock or water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked. Liquidise. Season to taste with the salt, pepper and herbs. At this point, you can cool off the soup and prepare it for the deepfreeze. When ready to eat, thaw and reheat, adding a dash of cream, if liked. Yum!
BRAISED LETTUCE HEART WITH MINT
Rose suggests that, if you serve this dish with well-cooked brown rice, or with new potatoes and perhaps a little steamed tofu, it makes a most “soothing” meal!
1 tablespoon of olive oil; 1 -2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint;
1 large lettuce, cut into thick wedges (I have used up lettuce that is running up to seed);
sea salt; water.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the lettuce wedges, 2 tablespoon of water and a little salt. Sauté gently for 1 – 2 minutes, turning the lettuce wedges until they are coated with the oil. Cover the pan and let the lettuce continue to cook until tender (about 5 minutes). Add the mint, check the seasoning and serve. Otherwise, allow to cool off and prepare for the deepfreeze. Enjoy!
The “Kitchen Pharmacy” is a mine of useful herbal information. Of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), it says: “Cool, anti-inflammatory, calming and anti-spasmodic. Like cabbage, lettuce can remove inflammation, both internally and externally. Externally, it can be used as a poultice for inflamed swellings and bruises: just bind the leaves into position on the affected part and change them every few hours.
“Internally, lettuce can help wherever there is inflammation, ulceration or spasms in the digestive system. So ulcers, gastritis, ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome all respond well to this vegetable, especially if it is lightly steamed. When used raw in salads, lettuce is cooling to the system, cleanses the blood and can help constipation. Radicchio and red varieties of lettuce can strengthen the blood and tone up the body.
“Lettuce has an anti-spasmodic, moistening and loosening action on the lungs, so it may be of value both for dry coughs (where it can create moisture) and for wet coughs (where it can loosen the phlegm). For this action, it should be combined with an expectorant such as garlic, thyme or ginger.
“The ability of lettuce to calm and soothe has been well-known for centuries. Lettuce soup is a good remedy for nervous tension and insomnia. Lettuce can also reduce sexual desire, especially if combined with marjoram: Pythagoras called it the Food of the Eunuchs!!!”
This informative book was published in 1994 by Tiger Books International plc, London. ISBN: 1 85501 584 6. If you find a copy, hang on to it! It is worth its weight in gold!
Author: Veronica Smith, first published on 19th July 2015
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