Florida Lettuce

by Chef Justin Timineri
Florida's Culinary Ambassador

Did you know that during January, February and March of each year, Florida produces 80 percent of the fresh vegetables grown in the United States? It’s true—Florida is the nation’s winter salad bowl. Two of our most basic and beloved salad
ingredients are, of course, lettuce and tomatoes, and Florida produces both in profusion.

Florida farmers produce a wide variety of lettuces—mild, crunchy romaine; vitamin-rich Bibb; tangy escarole and crisp endive. Escarole and endive make up 40 percent of Florida’s lettuce production, followed by romaine at 15 percent.

The best indicator of freshness and good flavor is fragrance, not color, so use your nose and not just your eyes when making produce selections. Regardless of their variety, lettuces should show no brown spots, wilting or scarring. Since lettuces are delicate, use care when transporting and storing. Lettuces fare best if kept cool and moist. Once home from the grocery store, rinse the lettuce even if you’re not ready to use it. Wrap the lettuce in paper towels, place it in a perforated plastic bag and refrigerate.

Lettuce should be washed carefully before serving. Separate the leaves and check for grit or debris. Once the washing is done, dry the lettuce completely, since dressing won’t stick well to wet leaves. (Plus, you don’t want your salad to be soggy.) A salad spinner makes drying lettuce really quick and easy, or simply place the leaves in a colander and wait for them to drain.

HEALTHY HOMEMADE CAESAR SALAD

Dressing
¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon anchovy paste
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¹⁄₈ teaspoon dry mustard (powdered)
2 garlic cloves, minced

Salad
8 cups your favorite kind of Florida lettuce
¾ cup small Florida shrimp or Florida blue crab meat
3 to 4 teaspoons fresh chives cut in at least 1⁄2-inch length
Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste
½ cup reduced-fat croutons
¼ cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese

Wisk all ingredients for dressing together until emulsified and chill in refrigerator until serving time.
Lightly toss lettuce, shrimp or crab meat and fresh chives with the dressing, a little at a time. You can always add more dressing if you need, but if you add too much it’s almost impossible to remove it. Serve with extra dressing on the side and garnish with fresh-ground black pepper, croutons and fresh-grated Parmesan cheese.

MARINATED RADISH AND CUCUMBER SALAD

1 pound Florida cucumbers, thinly sliced crosswise
6 large red Florida radishes, thinly sliced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
One 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 large leafs of your favorite Florida lettuce

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest and cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Add the chickpeas and let marinate for at least 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before it is time to serve, stir in the cucumbers, radishes, onion and parsley, then season with salt and pepper. To serve, put a lettuce leaf down on each plate and scoop marinated mixture on top.

Print these Recipes

Calling All Cooks

Florida Homes for Sale

Florida Lettuce