Lettuce celebrate Summer with yummy salad recipes! In your Spring and Summer boxes, varieties of green head lettuce and red lettuce were delivered straight to your door for your backyard to grow. Lettuce is a pretty incredible plant, because if you treat it correctly, it can produce lots of food for an entire season! 

When harvesting your lettuce, it is important to pick the leaves from the outside to the inside. By picking the outside leaves and leaving the center intact in the ground, the plant will continue to grow and produce throughout its life cycle. Pick off the lettuce leaves at their base gently, and let your plant continue to give you delicious salads all Summer long. 

Below we have brought you some of our favorite recipes for decadent salads. Lettuce can be utilized in many different recipes, but a salad has to be one of our top choices. 

Red Leaf and Mandarin Salad

Ingredients for 10 servings: 

• 8 cups torn red leaf lettuce
• 1 can (15 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet yellow pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4-1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions:

1. In a salad bowl, combine the lettuce, oranges, cheese and peppers.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, honey, vinegar, mustard and salt. Stir in onion. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve immediately.

Salad with Goat Cheese & Pecans 

Ingredients for 11 servings: 

SALAD

• 5 ounces of mixed gourmet/spring greens
• 1 pear  cored and chopped
  1 cup glazed and candied pecans
• 2/3 cup dried cherries (or cherry-flavored Craisins)
• 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese

DRESSING

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon smooth dijon mustard
• a pinch (about 1/16 teaspoon) kosher salt

Instructions: 

1. Place greens in a large serving bowl (or divide among individual salad plates).
2. Sprinkle pears, pecans, cherries, and goat cheese over top of greens.
3. For dressing, whisk together balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, mustard, and salt until emulsified.
4. Dress salad just before serving, or pass the dressing at the table.

Two Healthy Kitchens 

We are so excited to see our Leaf’d Family try these recipes with ingredients from your very own garden! Please tag us in your photos from garden-to-table on our Instagram @leafedbox or send us an email at info@leafd.com.

Full recipes can be found at: Two Healthy Kitchens & Taste of Home