AN ABUNDANCE OF LETTUCE

 

Too cold for salad; lettuce soup!

After a few rainy days and some sunshine the kitchen garden is flourishing. The lettuce looks gorgeous and it’s time to start picking. But with temperatures so low, I have no desire to eat salad. 

I’ve added chopped lettuce to my usual vegetable soup, but, searching for something a little different, I was delighted to find this recipe for a Spanish lettuce soup on the blog Me Sabe a Málaga ("it tastes like Málaga") by Ana Abellán. 

Crushed almonds give the soup a creamy consistency without any dairy. Made with vegetable stock or water, the soup is a nourishing vegetarian dish. For my rendition, I used homemade chicken stock and finished the soup with poached egg. 

Cooked lettuce is nicely chewy. Crushed almonds give the soup a creamy consistency.

Poach eggs right in the soup. 

Lettuce Soup

Sopa de Lechuga

Beaten eggs can be stirred in to thicken the soup or, alternatively, one egg per person can be poached in the soup. Serve the soup with bread which can be broken up into the soup, as desired.

Serves 4.

From garden to soup pot.

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 slices bread

¼ cup blanched almonds

2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed to split the skins 

1 medium onion, chopped

1 leek, chopped

4 cups chopped or shredded lettuce

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped ham (optional)

2-4 eggs

Sprigs of fresh mint

Fry bread, almonds.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil on medium-high in a pan. Fry the bread, almonds and garlics until they are golden. Skim them out. Discard garlic skins and place the garlics in a blender container with the bread and almonds. Reserve.

Add the onion and leek to the pan with additional oil, if needed. Sauté them gently until softened, 4 minutes. Add the lettuce and sauté until lettuce is wilted. Add the stock or water, season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Cook 20 minutes. 

Ladle some of the broth from the pan into the container with the fried bread, almonds, and garlic. Let it stand 5 minutes to soften the bread, then blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pan. Add ham, if using. Cook 5 minutes.

Stir 2 beaten eggs into the soup or break 4 eggs into the soup and poach them until whites are set and yolks still runny.

Ladle soup and eggs into bowls and serve the soup garnished with mint sprigs. 

Second day, I reheated the lettuce soup with chunks of lacón, smoked ham.

More recipes--mostly salads--with lettuce:
Lettuce Salad with Everything 

Lettuce Hearts with Garlic and Asparagus

Gazpacho with Cucumbers and Lettuce 

Spanish Mixed Salad 

Springtime Vegetable Stew with Dumplings 

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. Here's a fresh angle on the traditional cooking of Spain, with 120 recipes that trace their roots to Moorish Spain. See below for where to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

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LETTUCE HEARTS ARE A THING

 

Wedges of lettuce hearts are dressed with fried asparagus, garlic, and ham. 

I was putting the finishing touches on dinner when Ben, returning from a sunset hike up the mountain, presented me with a bunch of freshly-picked wild asparagus. Autumn rains have brought forth this forager’s delight. 

I sat down to watch the news headlines before dinner. From the kitchen I heard some sizzling and sniffed the mouth-watering smell of frying garlic. In minutes Ben had turned the spindly stalks of asparagus into a gourmet delight, frying them with garlic and ham and spooning it over lettuce hearts. What a terrific starter.

Cogollos are lettuce hearts.

Lettuce hearts with fried garlic are a thing, appearing on restaurant menus everywhere. The most famous variety, from Tudela, Navarra, is a dwarf romaine lettuce that forms a compact head. Other varieties of lettuce such as Little Gem, a miniature Cos, are also sold as cogollos, hearts. (Cogollo actually means “core.” The beating heart of a living being is a “corazon,” not cogollo.)

Adding chopped wild asparagus with its subtle bitterness is inspired. If wild asparagus is not available, use regular green asparagus, cut lengthwise, then chopped. If Spanish ham is not available, substitute diced bacon or panceta. Ben used a balsamic-style vinegar with honey; Sherry vinegar is fine.

The following day I repeated Ben’s salad of lettuce hearts with sizzled garlic and asparagus and added to it a poached egg. Served with crusty bread, that was lunch.

Frying chopped asparagus, garlic, and ham crisps them slightly.

Lettuce hearts with fried asparagus and garlic dressing makes a terrific starter.

Served with a poached egg and crusty bread, the salad is lunch. Use a knife and fork to mix the egg with the lettuce and dressing.

Lettuce Hearts with Sizzled Garlic and Asparagus Dressing

Cogollos al Ajillo con Esparragos Trigueros

Cut small lettuce hearts in half, larger ones in quarters or thirds. If using full-size romaine hearts, instead of presenting in wedges, cut them into thick crosswise slices.

Serves 2.

2-4 lettuce hearts

1 avocado, sliced

Salt flakes

2 teaspoons vinegar, divided

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling

2-3 ounces wild asparagus (approx. ½ cup chopped)

1-2 cloves garlic, sliced

Minced chile or red pepper flakes, to taste

½ ounce diced serrano or ibérico ham

½ teaspoon table salt

1 poached egg per person (optional)

Crusty bread to serve

Wash and dry the lettuce hearts. Cut them into wedges and divide between 2 salad plates. Arrange the sliced avocado around the hearts. Sprinkle each serving with flaky salt, ½ teaspoon vinegar, and drizzle with oil.

Dressing of fried asparagus.

Heat ¼ cup of oil in a skillet. Chop the asparagus into ½-inch pieces and fry in the oil 1 minute. Add the sliced garlic and chile and fry until the garlic begins to turn golden, 1 minute. Add the diced ham and fry 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the salt and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. 

Spoon the asparagus, garlic, ham, and oil dressing over the lettuce and avocados. Sprinkle with additional flaky salt and drizzle with more oil. 

If desired, place a poached egg in the center of each salad. Serve with crusty bread.

More recipes with wild asparagus;

Asparagus Casserole with Spring Vegetables 

Andalusian-Style Asparagus 

Eggs Scrambled with Wild Asparagus

***   ***   ***

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

 Ask for Flavors of al-Andalus from your favorite bookseller or click below to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

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LETTUCE WITH EVERYTHING

 

Caged lettuce.

I'm harvesting lettuce from the huerta! After two years without a garden, abandoned when rampaging wild boars dug up the tomatoes, I'm picking lettuce from a tiny fenced-in plot. With flowering tomato and squash plants, there is promise of more to come.

I’m making lettuce salad with everything! Tomatoes, peppers, onions, chickpeas, avocado, radish, corn, carrots, tuna, olives, capers, cheese, eggs--- But I am compartmentalizing these ingredients, setting up a “salad bar,” so that each person can add-on to please themselves. 

The freshly picked lettuce (6 cups, loosely packed, torn leaves) is simply dressed with ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar, and flaky salt. 

Lettuce with only extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.

On the side I’m serving a chopped salad of tomatoes, peppers, and onions, known as pipirrana, that can be heaped on the lettuce like a chunky dressing. Alongside are bowls of other accoutrements that guests can add as desired. 

This spread includes sliced radishes, corn kernels, mackerel fillets in olive oil, asparagus, artichoke hearts, olives, capers, grated carrots, chickpeas, queso fresco (fresh goat cheese), and fried croutons. 

Other salad additions: cooked green beans, cooked and diced potatoes, carrots, and beets; other legumes (butter beans are good); pasta, rice or other grains,  diced ham or chicken; anchovies, avocado, yogurt, pumpkin seeds, nuts, fruits.     

The "dressing" for the lettuce is the chopped salad of tomatoes, peppers, and onions.

Compose your own salad with a variety of ingredients.

Asparagus and goat cheese make a good combo.

Chickpeas, capers, radishes, crispy croutons, lots of cucumber in the chopped salad. Needs some mint and a dollop of yogurt to make it Middle Eastern in flavor.

No raw onions for this kid! He's picked the cherry tomatoes out of the chopped salad, added corn and shredded carrots.

Salad lunch, my everything salad--lettuce, mackerel, artichokes (garden), olives, radishes, chopped salad for dressing.

Tomato-Pepper Chopped Salad/Relish

Pipirrana

Vary the basic pipirrana, adding fewer or more ingredients. For example, if your people don’t like raw onion, just leave it out. Add corn kernels for more color and crunch. Capers for briny tang. All together they perk up the plain lettuce. 

Chopped parsley is the usual addition to pipirrana, but other fresh herbs can be used as well. Try basil, cilantro, mint, or tarragon.

The salad can be prepared in advance. Salt will draw the juices out of the chopped vegetables, creating the “dressing” for the lettuce. (The juices are also good sopped up with bread.) Save some of the fresh herbs to add immediately before serving.

1 cup chopped tomatoes or quartered cherry tomatoes

1 cup chopped green peppers

½ cup chopped red bell peppers

1 cup peeled and diced cucumber

½ cup chopped scallions or onions

1-2 minced cloves garlic

1-2 chopped hard-boiled eggs

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons salt

Chopped avocado (optional)

¼ cup corn kernels (optional)

2 tablespoons drained capers (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix gently. If not serving immediately, cover the salad and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Notes from a salad maven;  Your knife should be sharp enough to cut the skin of a tomato. Even after some honing, my everyday knife didn't make the cut. So, in honor of this salad, I brought out a new knife. What a pleasure! 

                                          -----------

With the next batch of lettuce from the huerta I’m going to try this take on gazpacho, Lechuga en caldo, lettuce in "broth," a recipe from Me Sabe a Málaga (“tastes like Málaga"). It’s chopped lettuce, olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice or vinegar combined in a bowl with cold water to cover the lettuce, a sprig of mint to garnish. Serve with bread for dunking.

More salad ideas:

Moroccan Tomato Salad (Pipirrana). 

Catalan Escarole and Cod Salad with Romesco (Xató).

Spanish Mixed Salad.

SALAD DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!

Ensalada mixta--a family-sized salad.

Garden alert! The lettuce is bolting! Yikes! Make salad. Make two salads. Make more salads. Warm weather shoots the lettuce to flower, precipitating an onslaught of salad days.

No complaints, really. I happily eat a huge salad for lunch every day. Huge, as in a whole lettuce just for me. With additions of other vegetables, both raw and cooked, and a bit of tuna, cooked chicken, hard-cooked egg or cheese I turn salad into a complete meal.

The Spanish ensalada mixta, or mixed salad, is a big production, served as a starter for a family meal. This is a “table salad,” served on a big platter and meant to be shared amongst the diners round the table. In traditional style, everybody eats from the serving dish, rather than dish out individual servings.

Tuna in olive oil.

A bed of shredded lettuce—usually romaine, but can include leaf lettuce or escarole as well—covers the platter. On top go tomato wedges (my garden tomatoes are still months away, so now these come from the market),  chunks of canned tuna (actually, I’ve started using bonito del norte, albacore tuna, packed in olive oil); quartered hard-cooked egg, onions sliced lengthwise; grated carrot, olives and canned white asparagus.

Canned white asparagus.

Optional additions are diced cucumber, strips of green pepper, canned corn (not for me!), pickled beets, sliced avocado.

Someone at the table does the honors of dressing the salad—lots of extra virgin olive oil and a little white wine vinegar are drizzled over the salad. Salt. That’s it. No garlic and no herbs except for a hint of thyme and fennel in the home-cured olives. Unlike a Greek salad, no cheese. And, no, don’t toss the salad.

Dress salad with olive oil and vinegar.

Just reach your fork over the platter and spear a juicy tomato, a chunk of tuna. A piece of bread in the other hand helps to scoop up forkfuls of salad. When most of the salad has been eaten, use the bread to soak up the oil and juices at the bottom of the platter—sort of instant gazpacho.

As much as I enjoy the simplicity of ensalada mixta, for my lunchtime salads I am more likely to make a slightly more complex vinaigrette. Here’s a recipe I like with a mixed vegetable salad—sliced new potatoes, cooked beans, tomatoes and greens.

Yogurt vinaigrette dressing.

Yogurt Vinaigrette

¼ cup no-fat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon wine or Sherry vinegar
minced garlic (optional)
chopped herbs (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Makes enough for a large salad or two smaller ones. Dressing keeps, covered and refrigerated, up to 2 days.

Oh, happy salad days!