Lettuce Batavia

Lettuce are available in a vast number of varieties, and are either crisp or floppy, growing from a central stalk to form a spherical or lozenge-like head. Most of them have green leaves, some with red tinges, and they all have a delicate, clean flavour.
Lettuce is mainly eaten raw in salads, though you can also add them to soups or braise them as a side dish. Crisp leaves work well with robustly flavoured dressings, while the floppier types need to be partnered with something more subtle.

Pull off as many leaves as you need from the base, then wash, drain and shake well (but gently, as they bruise easily) to dry them. It's worthwhile investing in a salad spinner if you eat a lot of lettuce, as it dries them much more efficiently. Don't allow lettuce to soak in water, as it softens the leaves.

Dress and serve in a salad. Shred and add to a spring or summer vegetable soup just before the end of cooking. Braise with peas (20-30 minutes). Brush with marinade, then grill halved crisp lettuces like Romaine on a barbecue, three minutes each side.

In a perforated bag in the fridge. Soft lettuces will last around one or two days, crisp varieties a day or two longer.