Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Drunken Woman Lettuce


Can you believe the size of this lettuce? Yes, it really is just one head of lettuce. One head of beautiful, voluptuous, Drunken Woman lettuce that was so large it could barely fit into the bag. It came from Let Us Farm, a farm (with no web-site that I can find) in Oakville, WA specializing mostly in unique and interesting lettuce varieties. I have to admit that I was first drawn in by the name, but upon closer inspection I started noticing the perfect crispness of the leaves and the impressive symmetry of the way each leaf seemed to unfurl in a continuous circle. The two dollars I spent on this head of lettuce yielded the equivalent of about four "regular" heads that you might find at the grocery store. This steal of a deal gave further evidence to support some interesting stats I read recently about how it is actually less expensive to shop at farmer's markets than at a grocery store. (Open up the pdf at this link to get the full scoop.)

So, we have a lot of salads to eat this week. Last night we tried the Drunken Woman with some Romesco vinaigrette and a bit of blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts sprinkled on top. When torn apart, the leaves of the Drunken Woman appeared to look similar to a common red leaf lettuce, but there was no mistaking its superiority once I took a bite. It had much more substance and crispness, the perfect vehicle for any number of vinaigrettes or toppings. Who knew lettuce could be so inspiring?

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