Learn more about lettuce for a perfect salad

The Culinary Institute of America

HYDE PARK, N.Y. -- Salads appear on the menu in so many ways today that one might imagine salads had been invented by this generation of chefs.

In fact, salads have played a key role throughout culinary history. The word salad is derived from the Roman word for salt; records show that the ancient Greeks also enjoyed fresh green salads.

Items that can be part of a "green" salad vary widely in appearance and taste. Salad greens are classified as mild greens, spicy greens, bitter greens or chicories, prepared mixes, and herbs and flowers.

Mild greens, or lettuces, are generally grouped into four categories: iceberg, butterhead, loose-leaf, and romaine.

Iceberg lettuce has a crisp head with closely packed leaves and a mild flavor. Butterhead lettuce is characterized by a loose rosette of soft, thick leaves which have a soft, delicate texture and mild flavor. Butterhead varieties include Boston, Kentucky Limestone and Bibb varieties.

Loose-leaf lettuce has open, deeply indented, loose leaves with a delicate flavor and moderately soft texture. Loose-leaf varieties include red and green leaf lettuce, and oak leaf.

Romaine lettuce grows as a long cylindrical head, with leaves joined to a core at the base of the head. The outer leaves are heavily ribbed, sometimes "savoyed" (crinkled). Leaves closer to the center have a milder, sweeter flavor than the outer leaves.

Spicy greens have a distinct pepperiness or assertive flavor, but are delicate enough to eat in salads. The younger the greens, the less spicy they will be. Some of the most popular spicy greens are amaranth, arugula, watercress, mizuna and tat-soi.

Amaranth has a spinach-like flavor and varies in color from green to purple to red. Arugula is best used when leaves are small -- its taste ranges from mild to nutty, to peppery and pungent. Watercress is dark green with small peppery-tasting leaves on tender branches.

Mizuna is a Japanese mustard with a mild flavor. Tat-soi is a flat black cabbage, best used in its very young stage; it has a faint but pleasant cabbage-like taste.

Bitter greens and chicories are used in salads when they are young; the more mature greens are considered cooking greens. This group includes Belgian endive, dandelion, mustard, beet, Swiss chard, collard greens, escarole, curly endive or chicory, frisee, radicchio and treviso radicchio.

Belgian endive is white, has tight heads with spearlike leaves and a succulent, crisp texture. Dandelion, mustard, beet, Swiss chard and collard greens are distinctly bitter and have dark green, long narrow leaves, some with white or red ribs.

Escarole has large greenish-yellow heads with slightly crumpled leaves and a light nutty flavor. Curly endive or chicory has narrow leaves with deeply ridged edges and an assertive flavor and texture. Frisee is similar to chicory but has finer, smaller leaves and a less intense flavor than chicory.

Radicchio is bitter and has sturdy purple-red leaves that form a tight head. Treviso radicchio, which resembles an elongated loose Belgian endive with red streaks or tips, has a succulent texture with flavor similar to radicchio.

Some varieties of herbs and flowers may also be used in salads. Herbs range from pungent to lightly fragrant; they can add a flavorful accent to a special dish. Herbs that have a naturally tender texture or soft leaves -- including young basil, chives, small mint leaves, pluches (sprigs) of chervil, or flat-leaf parsley -- are the ones to choose for salads.

Although the greens are the main attraction, it's the dressing that makes a salad special. No matter how tempting it is to add more of the delicious truffle vinaigrette in the recipe that follows, only two to three tablespoons per serving are needed to properly "dress" these greens.

If you can't find fresh truffles, Jonathan Zearfoss, Culinary Institute of America professor in culinary arts, suggests: "You can substitute canned truffles, which are black. You may also use high-quality truffle oil made from white truffles, which has a more pronounced flavor. Look for them in your local gourmet specialty shop."

The Spring Herb Salad recipe along with many other interesting salad recipes which highlight ingredients from artichokes to watercress can be found in the Culinary Institute of America's "Garde Manger, The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen" (Wiley, 2000)

Spring Herb Salad

1 cup Truffle Vinaigrette (recipe below)

4 cups baby arugula

2 cups mizuna

2 cups baby tat-soi

1/2 half head radicchio, cut into thin strips

3/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves only

1 1/2 bunches chervil, separated into sprigs

3/4 bunch chives, sliced 1/2 inch long

Truffle, shaved, to taste (optional)

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper, to taste

Prepare the vinaigrette.

Clean, thoroughly dry and combine mixed greens (arugula, mizuna, tat-soi, radicchio, parsley, chervil and chives). Portion as desired for single servings or larger batch salads. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To assemble the salad: Just before serving, whisk vinaigrette vigorously and re-season. For each portion, toss mixed greens with two tablespoons of vinaigrette; when tossing greens with dressing, use a gentle lifting motion. Arrange on chilled plates, top with shaved truffles if desired, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Serving suggestion: Other herbs, such as dill, fennel and tarragon, may be used in place of, or in addition to, herbs listed.

Makes 8 appetizer or side salad servings.

Truffle Vinaigrette

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 shallots, minced

1 3/4 cups mild olive oil

3 tablespoons truffle oil

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 each black or white truffle, chopped (optional)

Mix together vinegars, water, mustard and shallots. Whisk in the oils gradually. Adjust seasoning with salt, sugar, and pepper. Add truffles just before serving. May be stored up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in refrigerator for later use.

Makes 1 quart.

Nutritional information for salad with 1 ounce dressing per serving: 155 cal., 2 g pro., 6 g carbo., 14 g fat, 0 mg chol., 320 mg sodium.