WHAT HAPPENED TO MY LETTUCE?
ello, I missed you!
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This week we are back to our normal delivery days!
Next week, the week of Memorial Day and Independence Day, we will have only the following changes:
Tel Aviv (usually Tuesdays) will be distributed on Monday.
Ha-Ella Valley to Tzur Hadassah, Rehovot, The Gush (usually Tuesdays) will be distributed on Sunday, the 4.5. Deadline for ordering Thursday the 1.5 at 12:00.
The outskirts of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem that usually receive on Mondays, will receive on Sunday, 4.5. Deadline for orderingis Thursday the 1.5 at 12:00
Beatiful greens this week, that we will be missing soon:
Pakchoi, Tatsoi and New Ziland Spinach.
WHAT HAPPENED TO MY LETTUCE?
Last week I picked Arab lettuces (also called leaves lettuce or Romaine) that were in many different shapes... some were elongated, some were twisted, pointy.... What's going on? You might be asking :)
There are a lot of types of lettuce. All of the lettuces that we grow - round, romaine and curly - are different species of "leaf lettuce" and they all have leaves gathered together shaped more or less like a head. We concentrate on eating the leaves, but the stem is also edible and delicious. In Asia lettuce is grown from species that feature big, thick stems and have tiny leaves, because they like to eat the stem.
Lettuce is a crop that loves cool weather and continual dampness. Our lettuce has broad and green leaves so it can absorb the sun and do photosynthesis even in shady places. In very hot weather or strong sunlight, the broad leaves will lose a lot of moisture because of their large surface area. Have you noticed that most shade plants - at home, in rain forests and from tropical regions - have broad leaves? In contrast, most desert plants are characterized by small leaves.
The lettuce also loves sun (half a day is enough for it in the Israeli summer) and grows rapidly in summer, but it needs dampness in addition to sun. It also does not like surprises. A rapid temperature change causes it distress. Like all of our crops, it is purpose driven. It wants to seed and raise the next generation. It is a good mother. In order to produce many seeds, the first stage is to develop a big healthy head. The bigger and stronger the plant, the more chance to produce more seeds.
So, when the lettuce recognizes conditions that are difficult for development or that it's end is near, it immediately enters the seed production stage. At this point it "bolts". The "head" of the lettuce will start to point upwards (same as in cabbage, celery and more...) and the main stem will elongate rapidly upwards, becoming its flowering tower.
The stronger and more developed this stem, the greater the chance to get more seeds and continue the species.
The lettuce blossom is yellow and of very short duration, several hours up to one day.
It was very hot last week and our winter lettuces, known to make decisions very hastily, realized that they would not hold much longer. They decided that it was time to do what they were meant to do and finish elegantly. Since there was no picking on Passover, they all had time to get with the program and so we got all the lettuces in a more advanced stage in their lives than we're used to. Of course I will soon put up shade nets to help them with their hastiness...
Nowadays there are many species of lettuce, but they probably all originate from the lettuce that grows wild in the region and is most appropriate.
This is our summer lettuce "Noga 936".
You may have also encountered the "milky" liquid secreted where the lettuce was cut. This is the origin of the name. In French the name is Laitue, and the English name is lettuce. Both were derived from the root of the Latin word "Lac " which means milk.
The first records of lettuce are ancient Egyptian writings about the Gods Horus and Seth. Carnac temples have carvings of images of "lettuce milk" served to the "sex god" which was sacred to him. They believed lettuce increased their potency and appetite.
This milk contains alkaloids, and reminds a bit of opium. Some say that eating very large amounts of lettuce can cause haziness of the senses. In Ancient Greece they ate lettuce at the end of the meal to help get a good sleep. Judging by the amount of lettuce eaten in our Friday night family dinners, I'm sure that's not true. We eat a lot of it and everyone remains very lively. And we do eat a lot of it.... we even have complaints that "he got more than I did"... "What? There's no More?" and family members that are all over the lettuce salad before dinner.... More about my father's famous lettuce salad another time :)
According to the Plant Board, two cups of cut lettuce provide 100 percent of the recommended daily dose of vitamin K, 80 percent of vitamin A , 40 percent of the folic acid and 30 percent of the vitamin C daily requirements. It is also a good source of calcium, iron and potassium.
Have a happy week, I hope we enjoy some more of the green before the hot summer.
Yours and to your health,
Maggie
Different recipes for different lettuce (in Hebrew):
I expect in our weekly boxes (draft only!)
Lettuce
Pakchoi or Tatsoi
Bunch of sweet turnips
Beets
Eggplants
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Femmel
Parsley
Cherry tomatoes
Larger ones also:
Purple Cabbage
Red lettuce
Peppers
And scallions
Fruit baskets:
Red Grapefruits
Galia Melon
And bananas