THE CHEF FROM HELL

Gone are the days when your choice of salad greens at the local supermarket meant only iceberg or romaine lettuce.  Today's food shopper now has a wide variety of salad greens to choose from.  When shopping for salad greens, always examine them carefully.  Do not buy any greens that are discolored or wilted.  The greens should have a fresh appearance and light aroma.  Salad greens will stay fresh for longer periods of time when stored in the bottom drawers of your refrigerator; this method of storage minimizes their exposure to air.  Most salad greens will remain fresh and crisp, when stored properly, for 2 to 5 days.  Due to the fact that you will be consuming your salad greens in their raw state, it's recommended that you store them away from other foods to avoid any possible contamination.

Before making a salad, it's important to rinse your greens with cold water.  When washing your greens, discard any wilted or discolored leaves.  After your greens have been rinsed, place them in a colander in the sink to drain off any excess moisture.  After your greens have drained in the sink for a few minutes, place them between paper towels to dry.  It's best to dry the greens in batches so that the paper towels do not become soggy.  Always wait to toss your greens with salad dressing until right before you serve the salad. 

Here's a descriptive list of the various greens you may find in your local market.

Iceberg Lettuce:  The most popular of all salad greens, iceberg lettuce is known for its crisp texture.  It's important to note that iceberg lettuce, when compared to many other salad greens, has the least flavor and nutritional value.

Oakleaf Lettuce:  This is a salad green with tender leaves and a hard stem.  It's commonly found in commercial salad mixes.

Green Leaf Lettuce:  A delicately flavored salad green that has a short shelf life so be sure to use it the day you purchase it.

Red Leaf Lettuce:  This is another variety of green leaf lettuce.  It has red tinged leaves and is a popular choice to add color to salads.  Red Leaf also has a short shelf life.

Mizuna:  A long, leafy green with a sweet flavor.  Mizuna is also known as Japanese greens.

Belgian Endive:  This has a white appearance, a crunchy texture and a slightly bitter flavor.  Belgian Endive is commonly available during the winter season.

Escarole:  This green has crisp, broad leaves and a bitter flavor.  Most people prefer to cook escarole before eating it.  Escarole is commonly used in soups or served as a side dish.

Romaine Lettuce:  A flavorful salad green with large leaves that has a long shelf life.  It's a popular choice to use in the preparation of Caesar Salad.

Radicchio:  Featuring a dark red and purple coloring, radicchio has a crisp texture and bitter flavor.  It's frequently used to add color to a salad.

Bibb Lettuce:  A type of butterhead lettuce which is very flavorful.  For this reason, bibb lettuce is often the highest priced salad green in the markets.

Boston Lettuce:  Another type of butterhead lettuce with delicate leaves and delicious flavor.

Chicory:  A green that has a crisp texture and a bitter flavor.  When it is mixed with other greens, it can add a nice dimension of flavor to a salad.

Spinach:  This green has soft leaves with thick stems.  While having a slightly bitter taste, spinach is rich in vitamins.  It's important to note that much of the vitamin content in spinach is lost when it is cooked.

Arrugula:  This salad green has a peppery flavor and is a good choice to add some extra flavor to a salad.  It's commonly used as part of a mesclun salad mix.

Mesclun:  This is a mixture of several types of salad greens; usually arrugula, chicory, oakleaf, radicchio and escarole.  It's usually sold in a sealed bag or square plastic container.  Mesclun is also known as field greens and spring salad mix.