Butter Lettuce

With spring finally here, our thoughts turn to warmer weather and that often means we start selecting lighter foods, such as a salad for our lunch or dinner meal. With that in mind, our April Harvest of the Month, butter lettuce, fits right in. So while you debate on what type of salad to have on your break, consider the one that famous singer, Fergie, enjoys. She likes “a nice butter lettuce salad with some avocado, fresh grapefruit, shredded chicken breast and raw almond slices with a sesame vinaigrette dressing”. Sounds good, doesn’t it? So during the month of April, try some of our delicious items featuring butter lettuce that will be served throughout our CHI cafeterias. And who knows, maybe you will even find Fergie’s favorite salad on the menu…

Try These Delicious Recipes

Salad-on-a-Stick (Click for PDF)

Spicy Tuna Wrap (Click for PDF)

Avocado Butter Lettuce Salad and Lemon Dressing (Click for PDF)

How to Buy, Store and Prepare

How to Buy and Store: When selecting butter lettuce, choose heads with fresh (not wilted) leaves. Store the lettuce unwashed in its original container and then wash it immediately before serving. Or, you may choose to wash and dry it, then store it in a plastic bag for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

How to Prepare: When ready to serve, butter lettuce is excellent in almost any type of salad and is also a good food to use as a sandwich “wrap” if you choose to forego the tortilla or pita bread.

Making it Kid-Friendly

Many kids might wince at the thought of eating salad, but butter lettuce is good for starting out. It is more kid-friendly than some of its cousins because of its mild, sweet flavor. Also, children may have fun building sandwich wraps with butter lettuce, as well as cold veggie skewers with carrots and cucumbers that they can dip into their favorite dressing.