Think salad is boring? Then go beyond iceberg lettuce and take advantage of the wide assortment of salad greens available. Leaf lettuce, beet greens, and spinach are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these salad vegetables. Greens actually come in a wide variety of colors, textures, shapes, and flavors. They may be green to yellow-white, or red to purple, soft to crisp, curly to flat, and peppery to bitter to mild. Mix and match them and you've created an exciting salad!

Many salad greens are harvested young so that the plants can grow new leaves throughout the season; these are called baby greens. When mixed together, baby greens are sometimes labeled "mesclun," which in French means "mixture." While arugula, chervil, endive, and lettuce are the classic mesclun ingredients, anything goes nowadays. Mesclun can be simple or complicated, mild-tasting or zesty. It is commonly made up of greens that cover a range of colors and textures so that they are as pleasing to the eye as the palate. Edible flowers, such as nasturtiums or violets, may be thrown in for added color.
The word 'greens' is often used to describe many green leafy vegetables. These include members of the cabbage family, such as collards, kale, turnip and mustard greens. Other greens include beet and dandelions (yes, that weed, picked young, is tasty!). These leafy green vegetables are perfect for stir-fry, steaming, soups, or other light cooking. So whether they're called leafy greens, salad greens, or mesclun, buy them! They're good for you and taste good too!

Types:
Arugula or rocket adds blue-green, lobed leaves and a peppery taste to salads. Because its flavor is quite strong to stand alone, it is sometimes listed as an herb.
Boston or Bibb is a delicious head lettuce with a softer and more buttery texture than iceberg. Its loose, succulent, almost oily leaves are green or brown-red on the outside, creamy white on the inside.
Kale and Collards are basically cabbages without heads. They have a milder flavor than head cabbage though. Kale is usually flat with frilled leaf edges or very curly like parsley. Collards have large flat dark green leaves. They are among the most nutritious of the greens and are great cooked.
Watercress is a popular salad green with dark green small leaves and a peppery taste.
Leaf Lettuce is sold either as a loose head or as young leaves in a mesclun mix. The leaves may be waxy with curly margins, or flat and deeply lobed like an oak leaf, or even frilly. These come in red and green.
Romaine was supposedly popular with the Romans, and hence the name. The loose, upright heads, which can be either green or red, have thick, elongated leaves with heavy stiff midribs. This is the lettuce used in Caeser salads.
Mizuna is an unique mustard green of Japanese origin that has pencil-thin white stalks and deeply cut, fringed leaves. Its mild flavor is perfect for salads and light cooking.
Tatsoi has small, dark, spoon-shaped "black-green" leaves that are mild enough for salads, stir-fry, etc.
Curly Endive, sometimes called chicory, is crisp and curly with dark green leaves on the outside and lighter green leaves on the inside. These inner leaves are more tender. Because it is sharply flavored, it is also used as a cooking green.
Belgian Endive is a popular green in much of Europe. It has a dense, egg shaped head, about five inches long, with whitish yellow crunchy leaves that taste bitter. Try mixing with milder greens, or eat raw or baked with a strong flavored cheese.
Spinach was Popeye's favorite green! Great cooked or fresh in salads, its mild-flavored dark green leaves may be smooth or deeply grooved.
Pak Choi, also called Bok Choy, has crunchy white or pale green "stems" with slightly wavy light green leaves. It is great for stir-fry and is often used in Chinese cooking. Having been cultivated for at least 1500 years, it's one of the oldest greens.
Radicchio is a ruby red head with white veins. It has a bitter taste and so is combined with milder greens.

Interesting Facts:

	Mesclun," which in French means 'mixture,' is a salad mix of baby greens. While arugula, chervil, endive, and lettuce are the classic
	Mesclun ingredients, anything goes. Mesclun can be simple or complicated, mild-tasting or zesty.
	Greens actually come in a wide variety of colors, textures, shapes, and flavors.
	Other greens which might be steamed or stir-fried include collards, kale, turnip and mustard greens
	Green leafy vegetables are very rich in antioxidants-- the carotenoids and beta-carotene, the tocopherols (vitamin E) and vitamin C. For a bigger boost of these antioxidants, buy greens that are medium to dark green (the darker the leaves, the higher the content).

Nutritional Value
Greens are an excellent source of vitamin A and a good source of vitamin C. For a bigger boost of vitamin A, buy greens that are medium to dark green (the darker the leaves, the more vitamin A). Many greens, such as spinach, kale, and collards are known for their mineral content, especially iron, calcium, magnesium-as well as the vitamins folate, riboflavin (B2) and vitamin K. Leaves are very rich in antioxidants-- the carotenoids and beta-carotene, the tocopherols (vitamin E) and of course, vitamin C.

Best Way to Store
Keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to use. Wash well before serving because there may be some soil on the leaves. After washing, dry well to avoid a limp salad; try a salad spinner to really get those leaves dried quickly, or pat dry between paper towels. Try a salad dressing made from white wine or Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and Dijon mustard.

Selection
Look for greens that are not wilting or yellowing to ensure freshness. They are usually sold pre-mixed and bagged for you, loose in baskets, or bunched individually. Have fun by experimenting with a variety of greens to find the right flavor and textures for your salad and cooking needs. Many times you can make your own salad mix with what's available or buy a preselected mix. If buying a head lettuce, buy one than seems light for its size because it will store longer.