greengrocer or supermarket with a full array of new-age baby greens. Often even the produce

manager of a large supermarket can't tell you what you are holding in your hand unless it is next

to the sign that labels it.

To help ease the confusion, here is a brief list of "new" ingredients, few of which are

actually new. Their availability in quantity is new, thanks to the demands of innovative chefs and

today's eating trends. I have included old stand-byes, too, with alternative names. Names, by the

way, vary somewhat in different part of the country.

Iceberg or head lettuce is the most popular though the least nutritional of all the salad

greens and taste rather blah, like a piece from an iceberg. When you say lettuce, most

people conjure up a picture of an iceberg lettuce head. It is easy to grow, easy to

store, has a long shelf life and it transports well. That makes it inexpensive, always

available, crisp and crunchy. Ever discover a hidden head weeks after tucking it into

the refrigerator? It may be a little brown around the edges, even slimy here and there.

But the inside is perfectly crisp and usable.

Romaine or cos lettuce has broad, stiff, upright leaves. It is the hardiest of all the

lettuces and has the strongest flavor, though it is still mild. Great by itself, it is also

good mixed with the more delicate salad greens as it adds a firm, extra crunchy

texture and sturdiness.

Butterhead, bibb, Boston, limestone or buttercrunch lettuces are very tender and mild

buttery-flavored. They form small loose heads. The various names refer to varieties,

but they are fully interchangeable in salads and are not much different in taste.

Red leaf and green leaf lettuces don't form heads and don't keep quite as long as

iceberg lettuce. They, too, have a mild flavor, although more flavorful than iceberg.

They add bulk and interest to salads with their slightly wavy-structured, attractive-

colored leaves.

Spinach is popular in salads because of its vivid, dark peacock green color. It stands

out and contrasts well among the more subdued colors. Raw spinach has a very mild,

almost bland, flavor compared to the cooked form of this vegetable.

The cabbage family includes a large number of mild to strong-flavored greens that

you may use in small amount with other greens. White and red cabbage are the most

common. Both stay fresh and crisp for a long time. Red cabbage adds a most

desirable red to fuchsia color to salads, and in mid-winter it may be the only salad

ingredient with a reddish color contrast that doesn’t cut deep into your food budget.

The several varieties of oriental vegetables in the cabbage family, like bok choy and

napa cabbage, are very mild, but crisp, beautifully-textured, attractive-colored and

readily available.

Arugula, also called rocket or roquette, is a small-leaved green with spicy, tangy,

unusual flavor that mixes well with any salad green. Some people find its flavor too

aggressive—use it in moderation.

Curly endive is dark green with prettily-shaped leaves and a slightly bitter flavor.

This green is in the chicory family. You may substitute any chicory family member in

this list for another. Remember to use them all in moderation. Some people taste the

bitter flavor only slightly, but others are very sensitive to the taste (this is a genetic

trait).

Belgian endive is slightly bitter but still mild-flavored. It is also a chicory. It grows in

tightly bunched cylindrical-shaped, very pretty sprouts.

Serious Kitchen Play