Sunset Lettuce – Not Your Sad Little Salad
By Jeff Becker Photography by Joseph Burgess

For those who have written off lettuce as boring or predictable, it’s time to think again. While it may be hard to believe, the world of lettuce is rich and complex, offering several unique ways to redefine the color and taste of any dish. The truth is, there are hundreds of lettuce varieties, and each provides a new option for that summer salad. Generally, the types we encounter in this country fall under the subheadings of green leaf, romaine or cos, crisphead, butterhead, stem and red leaf. However, this multitude of lettuce options is simply too often ignored. It’s time to turn those sad little salads with that wimpy lettuce into something more.

The variety of lettuce known as Sunset has long been a favorite of home gardeners and is just the place to start. A variety of the red leaf lettuce family, Sunset allows the chef—at home or otherwise— the power to be creative and colorful with his salad skills. With leaves that are frilled and almost jagged complementing its deep magenta color, any chef will find this the perfect way to give a salad a much needed face-lift (or leaf-lift). In fact, Sunset is stunning, running from a deep almost-burgundy hue in its leaves to an earthy olive green at its core. But this is no mere garnish; the texture and flavor of Sunset match its brilliance, making it a perfect choice to mix with other greens, to dress up another item, or to eat all alone. As for recipes, this red leafy can go well with cured meats or fine cheeses, yet it is subtle enough to balance certain fruits, like apples and pears. Add a simple vinaigrette with a slight boldness, such as Dijon, and be amazed at how new, and wonderful, a salad can be.

The best way to find great greens like this one, and others, is to search local farmers’ markets or to plant it in a home garden. Since varieties like Sunset lack the commercial viability due to their low seed output to make them readily available at most grocery stores, home gardeners and farmers are the primary source for cultivating these wonderful varieties of the green. Since lettuce, in general, is a very hearty plant and is not very difficult to grow, Sunset and its brethren are an excellent choice, even for the amateur green thumb.

Sunset, and any lettuce for that matter, should be harvested when seedstocks appear, with great care given to peeling away leaves stricken by rust, rot, or wilt. With any plant, flavor is determined by the complex balance of chemicals within, as sugars and acids grow and wane during the growing season. Climate, soil and other environmental factors play a great role in determining this, but in general, to preserve the crisp, fresh flavor of the plant, taste it, and pick it accordingly. Unlike iceberg, this variety of lettuce should be quite palatable without dressing. The leaves should be crisp and vibrant and, like any lettuce, should be stored in the refrigerator away from apples, pears and bananas (these fruits contain ethylene gas that causes greens to over-ripen and rot).

The trick with this, or any item, is finding fresh quality ingredients and matching them to taste. While Sunset may be harder to come by, don’t be shy. These wonderful varieties of lettuce offer a world of opportunity to the cook that is willing to go those few steps further. A simple substitution, be it Sunset lettuce or otherwise, makes old dishes new again, spurring those creative juices, and adding color to a world that is no longer just green.

CONTACT INFO
All greens featured in Great Greens are hydroponically grown at The Greenhouse Gardens, own and operated by Tom and Gail Histen. For more information call (505) 354-0373.