Lettuce, Lattuga Gentilina

Lettuce, Lattuga Gentilina. Mid-early. Large, full and compact head. Upright ruffled leaves that are tender and crunchy.  Bright medium green, open head, very frilly very tender leaves. Good resistance to bolting.

Bright green, open-headed loose leaf, great for whole heads or for baby leaf cutting. The frilly, sweet flavored heads will get big in a hurry and can be cut at any size; a great green looseleaf that had good flavor and is hot weather tolerance. A popular variety used for salad mix in Italy.

ORIGIN

Gentilina lettuce (or lactuca sativa), is a plant belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae or Compositae, along with beets and spinach.
The origins of this lettuce are fairly uncertain—some say it came from Siberia, while others believe it was from the far East. It was already well known among the ancient Egyptians and has been eaten in Europe since the time of the Greeks and Romans. Greek doctors believed it to have slight sleep-inducing effects while Romans spread it throughout the West because of the various curative properties they attributed to it. Its name came from the inhabitants of the Italian peninsula who called it lactuca, from lac (milk) for the fact that the plant excretes a milky-white liquid known as latex. Today, Italy is the largest lettuce producer in Europe. It’s often referred to as ‘salad’ colloquially, even though lettuce leaves are just one of a salad’s ingredients. Gentilina lettuce can be either green or red (and in this case it’s known as red oak leaf lettuce).  

COOK IT:  Gentilina lettuce is mainly used raw to prepare a classic salad. It can be enriched with other seasonal vegetables, and dressed with olive oil and lemon or vinegar. And other varieties of round lettuce are used to garnish and decorate dishes, especially for appetizers. However, gentilina lettuce is also great cooked–grilled or stewed to create a side dish that’s a bit out of the ordinary. It can also be used in unusual dishes like gentilina lettuce risotto: the slightly bitter flavor of the cooked leaves goes well with the sweetness of the rice. Or it can be used to make a lovely puree, maybe with a bit of cream to regulate the density and sweetness.

Like all leafy greens, gentilina lettuce has a high water content and is one of the lowest calorie foods in our common diet. It has diuretic properties so can help reduce water retention. Its high quantities of water and minerals make it a very refreshing food (it contains mainly calcium, potassium and phosphorus). It’s no wonder nutritionists recommended giving it a central role in your diet, to best take advantage of the fact that it’s so nutrient rich, while also so low in calories. In addition, it’s been recognized since ancient times as a calming, refreshing food that can stimulate the appetite.  30 days baby; 50 full.