Strawberry Lettuce Salad

Lettuce is a leaf vegetable first cultivated by ancient Egyptians. There are several types of lettuce. The leaf, head and romaine are common. Iceberg lettuce is popular lettuce in the US. Butterhead, too.

Most lettuce is used in salads either alone or with other greens, vegetables, meats and cheeses. Romaine lettuce is often used for Caesar salads, with a dressing that includes anchovies and eggs. Lettuce leaves can also be found in soups, sandwiches and wraps, while the stems are eaten both raw and cooked.

The Romans likewise claimed that it increased sexual potency. Lettuce has mild narcotic properties; it was called "sleepwort" by the Anglo-Saxons. Spain is the world's largest exporter of lettuce with the US ranking second.

Lettuce extracts are sometimes used in skin creams and lotions for treating sunburn and rough skin. Folk medicine makes claims that lettuce is a treatment for pain, rheumatism, tension and nervousness, coughs and mental instability.

Depending on the variety, lettuce is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin K and potassium, with higher concentrations of vitamin A found in darker green lettuces.

Strawberry Lettuce Salad
Serves 4

2-3 cups of iceberg lettuce
10-12 strawberries
10-12 green olives
1 cup of green pepper
1/2 cup of red pepper
Tablespoon of maple syrup

Tear lettuce into bite-sized chunks. Chop up peppers into little squares, leave strawberries whole or slice in half, depending on the size. Mix.

Tiny drizzle maple syrup on mix just before ready to salad or lettuce will start to wilt.