Aka: Leaf Lettuce
Rather than a compact head, loose-leaf lettuce has leaves that are easily separated. This structure makes it ideal for a garden patch since you can pluck the outer leaves as needed, while the plant continues producing throughout the growing season. The satisfaction of a daily garden-fresh salad is easily yours.
The loose-leaf lettuces are more tender and fragile in texture than romaine or iceberg lettuce, or chicory. Plan to use loose leaf lettuce quickly. An ever increasing variety of leafy lettuces is becoming available, including Lollo Biondo, a bright, almost lime green lettuce with a distinctive frilly edge; Lollo Rosso, which is darker green than the Biondo, with red-edged leaves; and oak leaf lettuce, which is reminiscent of an oak leaf in shape and comes in green and red varieties.
 Loosely gathered leaves. With their crispness and mild flavor, these lettuces are great in salads and sandwiches.
 Big ruffled leaves with red edges.
 Crunchy green oval leaves. Commonly used for Caesar salad.
 This is prized for its crispness and longevity in the refrigerator, but it's a bit short on flavor and nutrients.
 Butter lettuce, as its name suggests, is so tender that it melts in the mouth like butter, particularly the heart, when the lettuce is picked at dawn. It forms a loose head of large leaves resembling an open rose. The name "Boston," though typically North American, may be found anywhere. The flavor of butter lettuce is very subtle: it lends itself to countless creative pairings.
 Romaine Hearts already have outer leaves trimmed during harvest. This means higher yield and less waste per case, since there’s more usable product in the carton, and less prep work before using compared to traditionally packed product.
 This variety looks like red cabbage, but it’s actually a chicory family member. This leaf is typically used for an accent in salads.
 An assortment of mid-size heirloom lettuces that may contain Red Bibb, Green Bibb, Red Oak, and Green Oak varieties. Create custom in-house salads with a smooth flavor profile.
 An edible plant with long, wide leaves in shades of green or sometimes red, or simply edged with red. As its name suggests, frisée is a curly lettuce whose long tender leaves are joined to a short whitish stem which somewhat resembles the base of the fennel plant.
Storage
If you plan to keep the lettuce for a few days, first rinse it in cold water and shake it before putting it into the vegetable crisper, in a fairly large open bag or wrapped in a damp cloth. Tightly closed packaging does not allow the lettuce to breathe and will make it rot. Be sure that air can circulate around the leaves. Frisée lettuce is fragile and will not tolerate freezing. Do not dress it until just before serving, since vinegar will make it wilt.
Alfalfa originated in Arabia and was called al fasfasah. To learn how such a tiny seed earned such a big name, look to its roots. This legume's amazing root system penetrates 100 feet into the ground and pulls up minerals and trace minerals unavailable to radishes and most of our other vegetables, whose roots range from a few inches to a few feet.
Health Benefits: Alfalfa is up to 30 percent protein by dry weight and is an excellent source of chlorophyll, vitamins K and P (bioflavonoids), and carotene. Almost as good as seaweed as a food mineral source, alfalfa contains calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, sulfur, silicon, chlorine, cobalt, and zinc.
A recent study found that one ounce of broccoli sprouts contains more isothiocyanates, a potent anticarcinogenic neutraceutical, than two pounds of broccoli. This study from John Hopkins University was released in September 1997, and within three months broccoli sprouts were selling fast in US markets. Despite their bitter tang, broccoli sprouts are a tasty addition to a salad or sandwich.
Wheat grass has been called one of nature's finest medicines. It is perhaps the most nutritious and cleansing juice there is. In its natural state, wheat grass is indigestible for humans; luckily, fresh-squeezed organic wheatgrass juice is easily digested. Its nutrients and enzymes--high in chlorophyll, potassium, calcium, and magnesium--are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, providing an instant boost of energy and ongoing nourishment. 1 lb makes 10 fl oz of an intense 'green' drink - that's a lot!
Hearty stem and leaf, mild sunflower seed flavor.
The zucchini has a delicate flavor and can be appreciated with little more than quick cooking with butter or olive oil, with or without fresh herbs. There is no need to remove the skin. Quick cooking of barely wet zucchini in oil or butter means it can partially boil and steam and then the juices are concentrated in the final moments of frying when the water has gone prior to serving.
from Rebecca Wood's The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia
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