Chapter 16 Salads and Dressings 261
Preparing Salad
Greens
If your operation does not purchase ready-
to-eat greens, the greens must be prepared for
salads before use. Each step is important in
order to produce a quality salad.
Cutting
When lettuces and other greens are
received in whole heads, the first step in prep-
aration is trimming and cutting. This step is
done first so that dirt or insects lodged in the
core of the lettuce are more easily removed
during the washing process.
Lettuce and greens should be trimmed of
any whole or partial leaves that are wilted or
discolored. Remove the cores on head lettuce,
16-5. The thick fibrous stems from leafy
greens must also be removed, 16-6.
Cut the lettuce into bite-size pieces.
In most cases, the pieces should be small
enough that the diner should not have to
use a knife to cut their salad. Some cooks
maintain the belief that salad greens should
Hydroponic Greens
A viable option for commercially growing
lettuce and herbs today is hydroponics.
Hydroponics is the science of growing produce
in a nutrient-rich water bath rather than in
soil. Hydroponic produce is grown indoors,
often under artifi cial light. Though hydroponic
items have a milder fl avor than fi eld-grown
products, they contain no dirt, insects, or
pesticides. Hydroponic produce is also available
year-round.
Science &
Technology
16-5 To core iceberg lettuce, (A) strike the core on a
fi rm surface and (B) pull the core out of the head.
B
A
16-6 Spinach stems can be tough and should be
removed before serving.