One of the first vegetables that's ready each year is lettuce. We grow several varieties of head lettuce, and with the right conditions, one head can be enough to feed a family for dinner! This year, they're absolutely glorious.
Fresh, crisp lettuce that has just been picked is absolutely delicious.
One of our favorite ways to use lettuce is as a bread or bun replacement. This is especially true if you eat gluten-free since the available replacement options leave much to be desired. Angie enjoys eating her burgers wrapped in a couple lettuce leaves and using lettuce instead of a tortilla.
The most common way to enjoy summer lettuce is on a sandwich for a yummy crunch. Biting into a turkey sandwich piled high with fresh lettuce is such a treat!
Of course, we have to mention using lettuce as a salad. Full of endless possibilities and creative tweaks, salads are a no-brainer for our family every June. Plus they’re quick to make and don’t heat up your kitchen!
At least once a week you'll find us sitting down to a HUGE chef salad for dinner. Yes, even our kids gobble up every. single. bite.
So, here’s our favorite Chef Salad recipe:
Ingredients:
1-2 large heads lettuce (we use about a pound)
1 pound cooked chicken or bacon or a combo of both
1 large or 2 small cucumbers
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
1 bell pepper
1 handful of snap peas
1 avocado
4 ounces shredded cheese (cheddar is a favorite here)
Salad Dressing: 1/4 cup Angie’s Homespun Edibles Strawberry Basil Jam mixed with 2 Tbl. balsamic vinegar (or use your favorite bottled dressing)
Directions:
Wash lettuce and spin dry in a salad spinner or wrap in towels and gently squeeze.
Wash and chop other vegetables into bite size.
Add lettuce to a BIG bowl. Place vegetables, bacon and cheese on top. Toss to combine.
Sprinkle with avocado.
Serve with your favorite dressing!
Variations:
This week we harvested the first peas from the garden so they made an appearance. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hard or are harvesting from your garden. There are endless possibilities!
We typically add a few hard-boiled eggs, sliced, to the salad as well. I just forgot this time!
We hope you enjoy this as much as our family does!
What are your favorite salad recipes? Comment below - we’d love more ideas to enjoy all this fresh lettuce!