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Lettuce Rejoice!
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| by Chef Justin Timineri Florida's Culinary Ambassador |
Did you know Florida produces 80 percent of the fresh vegetables grown in the United States during January, February and March each year? It's true—Florida is the nation's winter salad bowl. Two of our most basic and beloved salad ingredients are, of course, lettuce and tomatoes, and Florida produces both in profusion.
Florida farmers produce a wide variety of lettuces—mild, crunchy romaine; vitamin-rich Bibb; tangy escarole and crisp endive. Escarole and endive make up a whopping 40 percent of Florida's lettuce production, followed by romaine at 15 percent.
The best indicator of freshness and good flavor is fragrance—not color—so use your nose, not just your eyes, when making produce selections. Regardless of their variety, lettuces should show no brown spots, wilting or scarring.
Since lettuces are delicate; use care when transporting and storing. They fare best if kept cool and moist. As soon as you get home from the grocery store, go ahead and rinse your lettuce, even if you're not ready to use it. Wrap the lettuce in paper towels, place it in a perforated plastic bag and refrigerate.
Lettuce should be washed carefully before serving. Separate the leaves, and check for grit or debris. Once the washing is done, dry the lettuce completely—dressing won't stick well to wet leaves. (Plus, you don't want your salad to be soggy.) A salad spinner makes drying lettuce quick and easy, or you can just place the leaves in a colander and wait for them to drain.
Marinated Radish and Cucumber Salad
1 lb. Florida cucumbers, thinly sliced crosswise
6 large red Florida radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
One 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 large leafs of your favorite Florida lettuce
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chickpeas and let marinate for at least 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before it is time to serve, stir in the cucumbers, radishes, onion and parsley, then season with salt and pepper. To serve, put a lettuce leaf down on each plate and scoop marinated mixture on top.
Healthy Homemade Caesar Salad
Dressing
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. anchovy paste
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. dry mustard (powdered)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salad
8 cups of your favorite Florida lettuce
3/4 cup small Florida shrimp or Florida blue crab meat
3 to 4 tsp. fresh chives cut in at least 1/2 - inch length
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup reduced fat croutons
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Wisk all ingredients for dressing together until emulsified, and chill in refrigerator until serving time.
Lightly toss lettuce with shrimp or crab meat and fresh chives with the dressing, a little at a time. You can always add more dressing if you need, but if you add to much it is almost impossible to remove it. Serve with extra dressing on the side and garnish with fresh ground black pepper, croutons and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. 
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