Lettuce out!

June 15, 2009 12:28 PM

I joined a CSA program for the summer and or first pickup has so much lettuce I don't think I cold possibly eat it all this week. What can I do with it besides make salads and put it in sandwiches? Preserving counts! I just don't want to waste anything.
posted by mkb to Food & Drink (19 answers total)

Is it head lettuce? You could maybe stretch it to two weeks if you keep it intact and place it in a lettuce-preserver bag (most grocery stores sell them for about $1.00 and they're resusable).

Otherwise, can you give your extras to neighbors or friends?
posted by amyms at 12:34 PM on June 15, 2009

How much lettuce and what kind?
posted by dersins at 12:41 PM on June 15, 2009

Best answer: You can eat an enormous amount of lettuce (far more than eating it raw) if you cook it chinese-style:

- chop lettuce.
- bring a pot of water, salted and a drizzle of veg oil, to boil.
- blanch lettuce until it wilts (a few seconds does the trick).
- drain. serve with splodge of oyster sauce on top.

Delicious. I've eaten entire heads of iceberg and romaine in a single sitting by cooking lettuce this way. This method also works for a lot of leafy vegetables in general.
posted by kitkatcathy at 12:42 PM on June 15, 2009 [6 favorites]

Response by poster: It looks like romaine (It's not marked, so I'm not sure) and there are two heads.
posted by mkb at 12:45 PM on June 15, 2009

Best answer: Romaine is delicious lightly grilled or roasted.
posted by dersins at 12:56 PM on June 15, 2009

Grilled romaine!
posted by kellyblah at 12:57 PM on June 15, 2009

Best answer: Breakfast burritos are a good way to use some lettuce in the morning. Put beans, salsa, and cheese on a tortilla, and the add as much chopped lettuce as you can fit!

If you make wraps instead of bread for sandwiches, you can fit more lettuce in there :)

Can you tell I'm in a CSA too ;)
posted by diogenes at 12:58 PM on June 15, 2009

Use the lettuce AS the wrap.
posted by reflecked at 1:01 PM on June 15, 2009

Best answer: Romaine soup with chickpeas.. (And as for preserving, if you have leftovers, you can freeze the soup.)
posted by mudpuppie at 1:08 PM on June 15, 2009 [1 favorite]

In addition to shredded lettuce as filler, I liked using them as wrappers for dumplings.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 1:14 PM on June 15, 2009

Best answer: Gumbo z'herbes is a great way to use up excess CSA greens.
posted by zamboni at 1:19 PM on June 15, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Spiced Lettuce Cake Bars. Or if you're into soups, vichysoisse.

Now I want a BLT.
posted by knile at 1:47 PM on June 15, 2009

Best answer: We end up giving at least some of our CSA goods away on a weekly basis. We try to eat it all, but at least for me, I can only eat so much lettuce.
posted by crankylex at 3:15 PM on June 15, 2009

Use it in soup. This is an old trick I got from eating a lot of leftoversaladstuff soup cooked up by the dorms in college.
posted by ishotjr at 4:02 PM on June 15, 2009

Best answer: Jamie Oliver does a recipe for braised lettuce with spring onion and peas.
posted by slightlybewildered at 5:56 PM on June 15, 2009

nice big chef salad for lunch every day!
posted by spinturtle at 6:16 PM on June 15, 2009

2nd donating. All of the CSAs I've worked for have donated at least a few shares to local food banks, shelters, etc. If there's more of something than you think you'll eat (there likely will be in peak season), ask someone at distribution what you should do with the excess - they'll probably just include your veg in the weekly donation.
posted by pilibeen at 6:46 PM on June 15, 2009

Best answer: BLT Soup!
posted by BlooPen at 8:01 PM on June 15, 2009

Seconding kitkatcathy that cooked, Chinese style, is delicious and makes it easy to eat a whole head on your own. I've made something very similar to this, and it's delicious.
posted by insectosaurus at 9:39 PM on June 16, 2009