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Turn Over a
New Leaf
With This Gem of a Lettuce  (Family Features) - This spring, you'll be seeing green. A new salad green, that is.
From grocery stores to home kitchens across the country, a
diminutive lettuce is making big waves. Small enough to serve one
person, each head of this new lettuce — known as Sweet Gem — has
the texture and color of romaine with the taste and sweetness of
butter lettuce. Rich in nutrients, this green is a valuable
source of vitamin A. Sweet Gem has the tenderness of Bibb lettuce
without its tendency to wilt under a heavy dressing or the heat
of the grill. It also has the crispness of romaine without its
tough outer leaves or ribs.
What does all this mean to the cook in your household? Simple.
This lettuce really proves to be a "gem" in the many ways you can
use it.
Sweet Gem is well-suited for hearty, stronger flavor salad
dressings like Caesar, but also rich, flavorful balsamic vinegar
and olive oils. Its outer leaves form perfectly shaped individual-sized
wraps or cups for filling with tapas-style grilled meats
and vegetables or other fillings. Whole heads of this lettuce can
be served with a dollop of creamy dressing, then accented with
your favorite crunchy toppings for a delicious knife-and-fork
salad.
Love at First Bite
In each bite of Sweet Gem, you get the sweet, buttery taste of
Boston, Bibb or butter lettuce with the robust texture and color
of romaine. No wonder so many have taken a shine to this new
produce.
Sweet Gem's ancestors were first grown in northern Africa and the
sunny Mediterranean, long before this lettuce made its way to
European gardens. Today it's the lettuce of choice for salade
niçoise or for grilling and serving with a vinaigrette. It's also
one of the most widely consumed salad greens in the United
Kingdom. It's just now becoming available in the United States
and could soon be your lettuce of choice for all kinds of
appetizer and salad recipes.
For more information and great recipes, visit www.taproduce.com.
Spring Entertaining Ideas
Turn over a new leaf when you entertain this spring. Use Sweet
Gem to add a twist to your party or color to your buffet-style
recipes. Instead of processed chips or crackers that are high in
fat and sodium, use a great green that offers better flavor,
color and nutrition!
Sweet Gem Seafood Cocktail Lettuce Cups
2 heads Sweet Gem lettuce1/2 pound small whole shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined 1/2 pound imitation crabmeat, cut into bite-sized pieces 1/4 cup cocktail sauce 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon celery seed 3 tablespoons diced red onion Freshly ground pepper to taste Remove and reserve 20 outer lettuce leaves. Chop lettuce hearts. Mix together shrimp, imitation crabmeat, cocktail sauce, lemon juice, celery seed, red onion and chopped lettuce hearts. Season with pepper, then chill 1 hour. Serve seafood cocktails in reserved lettuce leaves. Makes 6 to 8 appetizer servings Recipe created for Tanimura & Antle by Gwen Kvavli Gulliksen. 
Sweet Gem BBQ Teasers
1 cup cooked shredded chicken breast1/2 cup diced sharp Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup chopped red onion 3 to 4 tablespoons barbeque sauce Salt to taste 1 head Sweet Gem lettuce Combine chicken, cheese, onions and barbeque sauce in small bowl; season with salt. Remove leaves from lettuce head and chill at least 1 hour. Fill center of inner leaves with chicken-cheese mixture. Serve chilled. Makes 4 to 6 appetizer servings Recipe created for Tanimura & Antle by Rita Held. 
Grilled Sweet Gem With Gorgonzola
5 heads Sweet Gem lettuce1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice 2 cloves minced fresh garlic 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot or red onion 3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese Halve lettuce heads lengthwise. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, shallots and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Baste lettuce generously with vinaigrette on both sides, and reserve balance of dressing. Over high heat, place lettuce on grill cut side down; grill 30 to 45 seconds. Turn and grill an additional 10 to 15 seconds. For each serving, drizzle a lettuce head half (cut side up) with small amount of vinaigrette and garnish with crumbled Gorgonzola. Serve immediately. Makes 8 to 10 salad servings Recipe created for Tanimura & Antle by Dean Simon. SOURCE: Tanimura & Antle
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