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Wilted Lettuce

sunnyside1
14 years ago

I remember my aunt making wilted garden lettuce in my childhood, and it was my favorite thing when I visited. I've never made it and I have all this leaf lettuce in my garden -- Glenda or anyone have a good recipe you would share?

Thank you!

Sunny

Comments (10)

  • gldno1
    14 years ago

    Sunny, I don't use a recipe. I just get a little bacon grease melted and add some vinegar cut with a little water to the sourness I like, add to grease before it gets too hot and causes spatters. Heat it to very hot. I sprinkle salt and a bit of sugar over the cut up lettuce and green onions and pour hot grease mixture and toss. If you have to fry the bacon to get the grease (not saved like I always have) crumble up the crisp bacon over the top too.

    If you are worried about bacon fat, use olive oil and add just enough bacon grease to flavor it.

    Hope this makes sense.

    glenda

  • christie_sw_mo
    14 years ago

    The bacon grease and vinegar version sounds like the way my mother makes it. I never liked wilted lettuce but I think it was the vinegar that made me turn up my nose. She uses too much for my taste.

    Do you think it would work to just put bacon bits in olive oil to flavor it and not use grease at all?

  • sunnyside1
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Christie, I don't know about the bacon bits -- to me, nothing is better than a little bacon grease now and then on greens and beans. I always have a small container in the refrigerator.
    I'm with you on vinegar -- a little goes a long way. I use olive oil and a couple of squirts of lemon juice for salad dressing.
    Glenda, your wilted lettuce recipe sounds really good -- YUM! I'm having it tonight.
    Sunny

  • gldno1
    14 years ago

    Christie, of course it would work...........just not be our hillbilly version. We have been eating it almost daily with some added spinach in it. You might try using Balsamic vinegar instead of regular...I do that sometimes. We don't like real sour either.

    Another version is to add some o.j. to it instead of cutting it with water.

  • sunnyside1
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Oh yes--I think I'll use the OJ next time I make it. Had it last night and it really was delicious!! I'm glad you mentioned wilted lettuce on another post
    Sunny

  • gldno1
    14 years ago

    I am glad you liked it Sunny.

  • mulberryknob
    14 years ago

    I make wilted lettuce with olive oil, heat it in a skillet and toss in sliced radishes and green onion, saute just to wilt. Then I turn the heat off, toss in the lettuce and drizzle with vinegar and sprinkle with salt. Put the lid on for a minute and then stir and serve. Balsamic vinegar is good but so dark that the salad looks almost brown. I prefer red wine or apple cider. So good!!

  • gldno1
    14 years ago

    I like the tossing it in the skillet idea....I like it wilted way down. You are very good to use the olive oil. No radishes here. I have tried to raise the darned things since we moved here in 1991...........I should test the soil. Other root crops do fine. wonder what is going on?

  • sunnyside1
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I can't grow radishes either. Never could. Nor are my beets anything to rave about.
    I'd like to try your version of (skillet) wilted lettuce, Mulberryknob. Still with a little OJ in it --
    Sunny

  • mulberryknob
    14 years ago

    radishes like soil on the acid side; perhaps yours is too limey, but beets like it more neutral so don't know why both beets and radishes would fail. I raise both, planting my first plantings the first half of March, and repeating the radishes twice more during the season. Most years I get a good crop although sometimes the earliest planting freezes out.

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