March 2022: Buttercrunch Lettuce

This month's seed kit features Buttercrunch Lettuce! To support our environment, some seed kit materials are now available digitally.

Buttercrunch Lettuce

Buttercrunch is tender, delicious, and looks as good in the garden as in the salad bowl. First introduced by Cornell University in the 1960s, Buttercrunch debuted as the 1963 All-America Selections vegetable winner for its tolerance to stress, poor soils, and bolting from summer heat.

Planting Instructions

Buttercrunch is a cool hardy favorite performing just as vigorously when sown direct as when transplanted. For earliest starts, begin indoors 4-6 weeks before final frost. Plant 2-3 seeds 1/4" deep and 2" apart in organically rich, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. In hottest areas, partial shade is best as plants tend to wilt in heat.

Germinates in 7-10 days, thinning back to 1 plant every 4 in the garden. Harvest large outer leaves while allowing smaller leaves to continue to mature.

Make sure to allow enough space between seeds for the lettuce to grow, as overcrowding can cause the lettuce to have a bitter taste. Firm the soil lightly. While growing, keep the soil well watered. Harvest between 60 and 70 days after planting, and before flowers appear, to ensure the lettuce doesn't become too mature.

More About Buttercrunch Lettuce

Lettuce is one of the only vegetables that must be eaten fresh; it can't be frozen or canned or dried for later use. That makes it an ideal choice for a home or community garden. When your lettuce is ready to harvest, just pick it, wash it, and make it a part of your next meal.

It's versatile enough to be the main ingredient in a salad or a healthy part of a sandwich. Soft lettuces like the buttercrunch variety can even be used as a wrap in place of bread.

Buttercrunch lettuce is high in fiber, vitamins A and K, and folate. It's slightly sweet but very low in calories, making it a healthy and delicious addition to your diet. Enjoy!

Mushroom Tofu Lettuce Wraps

• Serves: 4
• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 block firm tofu, drained and pressed, diced or crumbled
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 8 oz. mushrooms (button, bell, shiitake), chopped
• 4 butter or romaine lettuce leaves, washed and separated
• To taste: salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Drain the tofu. Place tofu between paper towels on a plate, place another weighted plate on top to squeeze out excess water. Dice or crumble tofu. Set aside.
2. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a bowl, whisk to combine, set aside.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the onions, ginger, and garlic, sauté for 5 minutes until onions are translucent.
4. Reduce temperature to medium, add tofu and cook for 5 minutes until brown. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are cooked through (about 5 – 8 minutes). Stir in sauce to the tofu and mushroom mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
5. Serve in lettuce leaves. Add optional toppings: grated carrots, sesame seeds, green onion chopped, cilantro chopped, chopped peanuts.

Craft: Lettuce Storage Bags

Storing lettuce in a damp crisper bag in the refrigerator helps maintain the right amount of moisture and air flow to keep lettuce fresh longer and reduce food waste.

You'll Need:

• Terry cloth hand towel
• Sewing needle or sewing machine and thread
• Safety pin
• Drawstring or ribbon

Instructions:

1. Fold the short edge of a towel down one inch to create a channel for the drawstring. Sew the bottom edge of the channel straight across. Repeat on opposite edge of towel.
2. Fold the towel in half (hamburger fold) so that drawstring channels are at the top.
3. Stitch together each side of the bag, stopping at the drawstring channel.
4. Attach a safety pin to the end of a drawstring and feed through both drawstring channels. Tie the ends of the drawstring together.
5. Place washed lettuce inside damp crisper bag, pull drawstrings tight, and store in refrigerator.