Butterhead lettuce.

Butterhead lettuce forms a small, loose, rounded head of soft leaves that feel almost silky. The taste is gentle and a little sweet, and the pale inner leaves are the most tender of all. It is a lettuce for a quiet, delicate salad rather than a loud one.

Ways to use it

• Separate the leaves and dress them with a mild vinaigrette or a squeeze of lime and a little oil.
• Use the cup shaped leaves to hold fillings such as minced chicken, shrimp or tofu with fresh herbs.
• Serve whole leaves with Thai dips and relishes, alongside cucumber and boiled eggs.
• Layer into soft rolls and sandwiches.
• Handle gently and dress at the last moment, as the leaves bruise and wilt faster than crisp lettuces.

Storing it

Keep the head unwashed in a container lined with paper towels, in the fridge drawer, and use it within a few days. Soft leaves wilt sooner than firm ones. Wash them just before eating, by swishing in a bowl of clean water and rinsing under running water. Tender lettuces grow most easily in the cool months, so supply and head size can change in the rains.

Where it comes from

Grown to certified organic standards. The certificate for each lot is shown when you trace your pack.

Every pack will carry a lot code. Enter it on the Trace your pack page and you will see the farms in that lot, the harvest date and the certificate.