Is there any nutritional value in lettuce?

Factual Questions
21

St. Barthgirl, your capitalization practices are a bit unusual, sometimes to the point it detracts from your message. I realize many on-line forums don’t care, but we tend to be a bit conservative about these things here.

Back to kohlrabi: I probably most frequently use it in place of broccoli in my beef and broccoli stir fry. Unlike broccoli, which in my gardens seems to become quickly overrun with caterpillars for the cabbage butterfly (“green worms” as we used to call them as kids), the kohlrabi seems largely immune to the local insects.

Since I started gardening for a major part of my vegetables again I have a friend who every spring sends me a new vegetable I haven’t tried before. Last year was kohlrabi, which is likely to become a regular in my backyard. They seem quite hardy and easy to grow, the main trick being to harvest them before they turn into wood.

I do find my slow-cooker is good making woody vegetables into stew, a fact I discovered when one of the heirloom carrot varieties I grew one year turned out to be extremely chewy. Just could not eat them raw. Although my friend’s guinea pig seem to appreciate the couple I gave him.

22

I find that harvesting the kohlrabi when it’s smaller than a peach- even smaller is more tender- is crucial. peeling it well, too- not being afraid of discarding too much. if you squeeze a little lemon juice on the juliennes and let them soak for half an hour, like one would do for a celeriac salad, it softens it up a bit, but leaves it Pleasingly Snappy . i wouldn’t do that for saute, tho: too wet.

{i’ll try to reign in the capitals… it’s a matter of choice, really; a strange, idiosyncratic Way I Write. I write for myself a good deal.i Emphasize certain words For Effect. And i almost always use small 'i’s when referring to myself. i suppose i think of myself as having a Poetic License. I’ve been living Under A Rock for some time though, and have become rather insular, i’m afraid. I’ll try to remember that it Effects people reading, and monitor it. It’s become so habitual that it will likely take some time to break myself of the tendency. Being Aware is the first step… Thank You for bringing the fact that it bothers people to my attention… The Jets? that’s a sport team, isn’t it?}

23

You. Rock. Thank you so much for taking the constructive criticism in the manner in which is was intended - to better both our and your experience on this board. You’d be amazed how many Special Snowflakes get offended and pissy when we let them know that we actually like grammar and writing conventions around here. (If you’ve seen the “How Old Are You?” thread, it will give you some idea why. For a message board, we’re full up with Old Farts!)

I like capitals for occasional emphasis, too. I call them Pooh Capitals, after my favorite Bear Of Very Little Brain. But they really do need to be used in moderation to be used effectively…otherwise they just end up making the writer seem incompetent. :slight_smile:

And I would love your Creme Fraiche recipe, if you’d be willing to share.

24

A (nother) wonderful thing about Creme Fraiche is how remarkably easy it is to make… it can be done on the fly and forgotten about and still it’s fantastic…

Start with the best heavy cream you can find or want to afford- here in Vermont there are family dairy farms Aplenty… and the good stuff yields far and away the best results. it’s one of the most bang-for-your-buck ingredients extant.

If you use cream for other purposes, then any Mason/Atlas type jelly/canning jar will do. If you want to dedicate all the cream to this project, find a jar or jars to accommodate the full amount you buy. The creme fraiche will last a goodly long time. For this application, a VERY CLEAN (and dry) jar is crucial. The cream will soak up any aroma or color in a jar previously used for, say, tomato sauce. Likewise, any bacteria left in an un-sanitized jar WILL reproduce like crazy. You WANT to cultivate the beneficial culture ~ any other bacteria will grow, too… (what is called the TDZ ~ the temperature danger zone~ the temperatures at which potentially dangerous food-borne bacteria grow most rapidly ~ occurs between 40-140 degrees Fahrenheit, 5-60 C)

Buttermilk. A good one is, of course, best…but not as important as a really, really, fatty, superior heavy cream.

Fill the jar about 1/3 full of buttermilk. Fill it almost to the top with Heavy cream. Close the lid and Shake Shake Shake. Dance around a bit. Cha Cha Cha.

When thoroughly mixed, undo the lid. If your kitchen has lots of Floaty things like dust and pet hair, cover the top with cheesecloth and string. leave the lid slightly askew; if it’s a double lid, move the flat disc away from the edge a bit. You DO need air to get in…

Place the jar in a Warm spot, away from a lot of action. Above the stove, if you’ve a shelf there… or the laundry room, above the machines are good spots.

Leave the jar be overnight or for 1/2 a day or so… shake it again, once only but well, and allow it to rest again - ajar - for a total of 24 hours. (up to 2 days is OK, too. If it’s chilly in your home, it may take longer than a day, in any case…)

After your day or two, DONE! Shake again before putting in the Fridge. Total time on actual recipe? about five minutes…and you can be talking on the phone or distracted while doing it…

I don’t like to waste, and unless i give it to my Dog, the extra buttermilk may have no application… So, i pour the extra into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, the cubes can be stored in a baggie or container. Whenever i make a new batch of Creme Fraiche, i thaw the cubes i need in the jar i’ll use, then add the cream, and so it goes…

If you want to get creative, you can flavor the finished creme fraiche with a bit of vanilla, or a liquor. The creamy not-sweetness of it with the heady vanilla on a fallen chocolate souffle cake, or with fresh berries, yum.
You can, of course, add a bit of sweet if that’s your thing. I’ve made ice cream with molasses creme fraiche and molasses mascarpone and the tart and sweet flavors juxtapose and blend wonderfully… You can whip it, too- if you want it light and airy instead of rich and dense. Kids will often eschew creme fraiche. i’ve found that whipping it can ease the transition from redi-whip type yuckiness to a tart, cultured product like creme fraiche, as they’re accustomed to the look and texture… Kids can help make the creme fraiche, too- and if they have a hand in making it, they’ll likely eat it, too. And from there, they’ll soon be making their own yoghurt!

if you’re bored of bringing wine to a dinner, or just want to change it out occasionally, homemade creme fraiche makes a terrific hostess gift. You can go nuts with the presentation, depending on your personal proclivities…
quaint and charming with a ribbon or raffia and fabric swatch on a jelly jar, or sophisticated with an edgy glass vessel and a mother of pearl caviar spoon {heck- go all the way with champagne, beluga, and your own blini mix if you want…}, or artsy by reclaiming an antique or retro cream & sugar set and placing strawberries or mini scones in the sugar bowl… Kids can make it for Grandma and have fun by attaching some hand drawn recipe cards to the jar or bag.

I do none of the above. i just keep it in my fridge to Mow on. Nom.

As this is ostensibly a salad thread, tho, here is (a pre-printed) recipe for Celeriac Remoulade. Play with it. Try kohlrabi or root vegetable remoulade, or try wasabi or horseradish instead of or in addition to mustard…

THE RECIPE

Peel then shred a medium-sized celeriac. The shreds should not be too fine, nor should they be thicker than a matchstick. Toss them immediately in the juice of half a lemon. Mix together 4 heaped tbsp of good mayonnaise, 2 tbsp of smooth Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp of double cream or crème fraîche and 2 tbsp of chopped parsley. Season with salt and black pepper, then fold into the shredded celeriac. Set aside for 30 minutes then serve with thin slices of ham.

THE TRICK

Toss the shredded roots quickly in lemon juice to stop them discolouring and to tenderise them. The dressing should be just thick enough to cling to the roots – in other words creamy without being soupy. Thin the sauce down with lemon juice if it gets too thick. Cream or crème fraîche sounds extravagant, but is essential if the salad is to be more than just roots in mayo. Don’t attempt to keep it overnight. It will become soft and claggy as the celeriac soaks up the dressing. Chop the parsley finely – this is not the time for roughly chopped.

THE TWIST

Beetroot remoulade has a more vibrant colour and a mixture of celeriac and beets is good, but should be lightly mixed so as not to turn the dressing raspberry pink. Poppy seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds make unorthodox but welcome additions, as do chopped toasted walnuts. A lighter dressing can be made using fromage frais instead of crème fraîche.

Last but not least, thank you for being kind! it’s very, very nice to encounter supportive

25

I think of lettuce as a delivery system for salad dressing. As long as the lettuce is tasteless (and most is), the dressing will shine.

26

Uh, it’s not. That’s for Cafe Society, unless you’ve got some serious issues with salad or posters who say something about salad, where you can make your case on other SD boards. (Although I actually like celeriac remoulade, and make creme fraiche when the occasion arises, do leave me out of it.)

Also, such humongous posts are better avoided in favor of a cite. Barring that, at least small-print it, or, better yet, call the whole section a “spoiler”–it’s not really a spoiler, but I don’t know of any other way to pocket something (cx welcome)–as a way to get it out of peoples’ faces: [noparse]blah blah[/noparse]. The message will look like:

Blah blah.More blah blah Blah blah.
Leo

27

See, even the reptiles know that the “good-for-you” stuff tastes terrible! (Seriously, I tried some arugula and found it quite bitter/tart, unpleasantly so.)

I’m in the camp that says Iceberg lettuce is the lettuce for burgers. Preferably shredded. It’s there for texture more than flavor. Nothing worse, IMO, than a limp, soggy leaf of romaine or “green leaf lettuce” on my burger. Those tell me the restaurant is more interested in making their burgers good-looking than they are in making them good-eating.

What’s frustrating for me is that, being a single person living alone, I cannot buy lettuce in a small enough quantity that I can use it up before it goes bad.

28

leo, i’ll try to get it right… thanks for the instructions on the spoiler box. i’m not yet confident enough to try it; i’m still absorbing this whole new computer world…

29

Related question that I thought the OP was asking: What about the claim that it takes more calories to digest lettuce than it contains? Is there any lettuce for which this is true?

30

There is no nutrional value in regular ice berg lettuce. I’m not sure about romane lettuce though.

31

ETA: Actually, not sure.

32

Her capitalization reminds me of Tristram Shandy, which I’m sure she’s read. Keep it up!

33

I thought that a leave’s pigment was directly related to its nutritional value. (IOW darker=healthier)

34

Perhaps she’s also read, in Ulysses, this part:

In the Oxen of the Sun chapter, in which the history of the written English language is traversed in parallel with the growth of an embryo. In this paragraph, at a beer-drinking party, Stephen Daedalus is (temporarily) Boasthard; Calmer is Bloom; the bottle Holiness is the beer, the clap of the god is thunder, which Bloom (the “scientific” one) had referred to in another chapter as merely a phenomenon of weather:

But was young Boasthard’s fear vanquished by Calmer’s words? No, for he had in his bosom a spike named Bitterness which could not by words be done away. And was he then neither calm like the one nor godly like the other? He was neither as much as he would have liked to be either. But could he not have endeavoured to have found again as in his youth the bottle Holiness that then he lived withal? Indeed not for Grace was not there to find that bottle. Heard he then in that clap the voice of the god Bringforth or, what Calmer said, a hubbub of Phenomenon?

35

Nm

36

:smack: Ignore idiotic identification of Boasthard with Stephen. It makes no sense, and the character is correctly identified in the preceding paragraph, which i’ve been told repeatedly one should always read before reading a subsequent paragraph.

37

You guys are sweet. Thank you. Leo- i thought Normal Human Beings went to Sleep At Night. Now, i Know that i’m not… But what’s your excuse?

Pigment IS a great indicator of what’s in a fruit/vegetable… the prevailing wisdom is to “eat a rainbow” of colors.

Here’s Why: {i can’t prove it myself, but i’m incined to believe…}

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/ar/archive/nov96/plant1196.htm

38

Thanks, but seriously St.BarthGirl, you should try not to write like that around here. We (“we”) judge each other by content and style, like Mrs. Ince in 7th grade used to say. It gets old quick.

Last post on the topic…

39

Yes there is - this was addressed earlier in the thread. It’s no super food, but to say there is NO nutritional value in it is, in fact, untrue.

40

To some extent yes.