Let’s get this out of the way right off: Iceberg lettuce has very little nutritional value. About the most you can say for it is that it doesn’t hurt you. On the other hand, other lettuces are only slightly better. The margin of difference is not enough to justify hard feelings between iceberg eaters and non-eaters. For vitamin and mineral scores that make an impact, we must turn to the greener leafy greens–spinach, kale, even watercress–which also have the advantage of discernible taste. But there are other reasons to eat iceberg lettuce.
We eat it for crunch, for color, for the water in it. It’s a vehicle for other ingredients, a break in the action. We like it because it is nothing.
And we eat it in great quantity. The USDA calculates iceberg is consumed at the rate of about 24 pounds per person per year, more than three times as much as romaine and all other leaf lettuces put together. This despite its sad showing on nutritional charts, and despite the even more shameful burden of being, for the past 20 years or so, out of fashion.
Although lettuce has been cultivated for more than 2,500 years, eaten by ancient Egyptians as well as Romans, the iceberg variety is just over 100 years old. It was introduced in 1894 by W. Atlee Burpee & Co., a seed company headquartered in Philadelphia. A twist on the Batavian variety of head lettuces, it has been famous ever since for its durability.
Its recent unstylishness followed a long, innocent period in which iceberg was not just the best but also the only lettuce in most American households, and sometimes one of the few fresh vegetables. Dressings ranged from oil and lemon juice to a thick drape of Thousand Island made with Miracle Whip and chili sauce.
Who can forget the pale chunks of iceberg adrift in a sea of bottled dressing, garnished with bacon bits or, perhaps, shreds of carrot? What aspiring cook didn’t thrill to the accomplishment of his or her first clever kitchen trick: slamming the lettuce against the countertop and then popping out its core before flooding the head under the faucet? No lettuce is more fun to wash than iceberg.
“Iceberg lettuce?” says Jan Parr, editor of Oak Brook-based Online Investor magazine. “You mean `salad’? Until I was in college, I didn’t know iceberg lettuce wasn’t salad. When we were kids, that’s all we had.” The dressing? “Wishbone Italian,” she says. “Always.”
North Sider Sheila Hart has similar memories. “I grew up eating iceberg lettuce, thinking that’s the only lettuce there is,” she says. “It was the only lettuce we had in Davenport, Iowa. And then one day I ran into Bibb.”
How was iceberg served in her house? “On a sandwich with baloney, white bread, mayo, sliced tomatoes. Delicious,” she says. “I wish I had one right now.”
As a greater variety of salad greens became easily available, iceberg lettuce faded from sight in many homes and restaurants, coming to rank in chicness somewhere between Jell-O and canned cream of mushroom soup.
But all that time it endured and even thrived, albeit out of the spotlight.
Many restaurants, including some that care what they serve, never stopped offering it. The Field’s Special sandwich, a magnificent mound of iceberg topped with turkey, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing, has been a popular choice in Marshall Field’s Walnut Room for decades. General manager Joe Carduff says the tradition–friendly restaurant sells about 60 of the sandwiches a week even when it is not on the menu. (It is also offered in the Frango Cafe.)
Newer, trend-conscious eateries also have discovered the back-to-basics appeal of cold ‘berg. At the Chicago Firehouse Restaurant, 1401 S. Michigan Ave., the “wedge salad” ($5.50) features half a head of lettuce decked out with tomato, cucumber and creamy blue cheese dressing, topped with Maytag blue cheese crumbles. Grillroom Chophouse and Wine Bar, 33 W. Monroe St., offers a quarter of a head of iceberg with any house dressing ($4.50). General manager Jim Morris says that it is a popular choice and that he, personally, still likes iceberg lettuce.
The wedge is not the only possible presentation. P.F. Chang’s, a national chain of Chinese restaurants with locations in Northbrook and at 530 N. Wabash Ave., features iceberg leaves in one of its signature dishes, the “soothing lettuce wrap” appetizer, made with vegetables and spiced ground chicken. Iceberg leaves have traditionally been used in Chinese cooking as a moisturizing liner in bamboo steamers, under sticky dumplings. Chopped iceberg can also add texture to homemade vegetable soups.
And saladwise, in combination with tastier, darker greens, iceberg provides a happy boost. If you can get past the culture clash, a melange of iceberg, radicchio, arugula and watercress–common French mesclun components–will deliver nutrients along with texture and color.
But its old, familiar uses have staunch fans.
“I’ll tell you one thing about iceberg lettuce,” says Bobbi Kujawski, a Crown Point, Ind., mother and grandmother. “When you want a sandwich? It’s the best lettuce to use because it gives you so much great crunch, and I enjoy that.”
Kujawski says she uses romaine for salads these days but sticks with iceberg for sandwiches. One of her favorites: “You get some good poppyseed rolls, split them, and toast them. You put cold chicken or turkey on them with at least 2 inches of lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and mayonnaise. Salt and pepper the tomatoes–not too much salt, a little bit more on the pepper.”
Is that bliss or what? “There’s just something about this sandwich,” she says. “I’m so happy I came across it.”
Poultry and iceberg seem to go together. Hart has fond memories of a salad served a certain way: “Iceberg, torn, in a crystal bowl, with chicken salad,” she says. “And frozen white grapes. Rinse them with water or white wine or vodka and freeze them, and then they’re crystallized. That makes a beautiful, refreshing summer salad.”
In this case iceberg has it all over Bibb. “It’s crunchy,” she says. “I like the sound.”
In the market Look for fairly large, symmetrical heads of iceberg that yield to gentle pressure. Rock-solid heads have even less flavor than springier ones. Outer leaves should be medium green. Avoid heads with thin, wilted leaves, a bitter smell or brown spots. If the stem end is a bit brown, its probably not a problem.
FIELD’S SPECIAL
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Yield: 1 sandwich
An original recipe card in the Marshall Field’s archives offers precise instructions for the creation of this sandwich. The card is dated July 25, 1944:
– Trim the bottom crust of the rye bread. Minimum length of each slice must be 4 3/8 inches. Spread 1 teaspoon of whipped butter to cover the entire slice of bread. Place buttered slice of rye bread on special china plate with trimmed bottom edge towards you.
– Place on the bread in the following order:
2 1/2 to 3 ounces of lettuce. Loosened hearts may be used.
One slice of Wisconsin Swiss cheese, 1-ounce portion.
One to two large, outside leaves of lettuce. Edges may be tucked in very lightly to form appearance of a rounded shell. Place these leaves across the bread with the rib end of the leaf in front of the trimmed bottom side of the bread. (There are times when it is necessary to break off about a half inch of the rib end of the lettuce.)
Two and 3/4 ounces of sliced breast of turkey or chicken. Separate the slices of turkey or chicken and place them in overlapping position with the length of the slices running in the direction of the length of the bread.
– Over all of this, pour 1/2 cup of Thousand Island dressing.
– On top of the dressing place one slice of tomato, 3/8-inch thick. Tomato slice should be moved to secure the balance in order to avoid slipping. Top the tomato slice with one slice of hard-cooked egg. Use an egg slicer to cut this, and be certain to use only slices of egg with a reasonable amount of yolk showing.
– Place 2 strips of cooked bacon, 1 on each side of the sandwich. Length should be a minimum of 6 inches, and 1/4 ounce minimum.
– Garnish sandwich with a ripe olive and a sprig of parsley. Sprig of parsley should be at least 2 1/2 inches in length. It should be tucked into the tomato slice under the slice of egg. Ripe olive should be placed on the plate to avoid contact with Thousand Island dressing. . . . The overall height of the sandwich should be at least 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 inches.
This is a Field’s famous item and therefore special care should be taken that it is exactly right.”
GARDEN VEGETABLE SOUP
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Adapted from “Nika Hazelton’s Kitchen.”
2 cans (14.5 ounce each) diced tomatoes with juice or 2 large tomatoes, peeled, diced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 large zucchini, sliced
1 medium head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas or 2 pounds fresh peas, shelled
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn or 4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
Salt, freshly ground pepper
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried, see note
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Spread tomatoes over bottom of large Dutch oven. Top with onions, garlic, zucchini and lettuce; drizzle with olive oil. Cook, covered, over medium heat until vegetables start releasing liquid, about 15 minutes.
2. Stir in peas, corn and salt and pepper to taste; cook, covered, over low heat about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and basil. Serve hot, lukewarm, or at room temperature. Pass Parmesan cheese.
Note: If using dried basil, add to pot with tomatoes.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 240 Fat ……….. 13 g Saturated fat .. 1.8 g
% calories from fat .. 45 Cholesterol … 0 mg Carbohydrates … 29 g
Protein …………. 7 g Sodium …… 270 mg Fiber ………… 7 g
THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 1/2cups
Adapted from the “Joy of Cooking.”
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons minced pickle relish or sweet gherkins
1 tablespoon each: minced onion, minced parsley
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
Stir all ingredients together in small bowl until well blended.
Nutrition information per 2-tablespoon serving:
Calories ………… 135 Fat ………… 15 g Saturated fat .. 2.2 g
% calories from fat .. 94 Cholesterol … 11 mg Carbohydrates .. 1.7 g
Protein ……….. 0.3 g Sodium ……. 125 mg Fiber ………… 0 g
GREEN GODDESS DRESSING
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 1/2 servings
Developed in the Tribune test kitchen.
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped chives
2 tablespoons each: white wine vinegar, chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 tablespoon dried tarragon or 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauceGreen goddess dressing
Combine all ingredients in small bowl until well blended. Or, place in blender; puree. Chill in refrigerator 1 hour or overnight.
Nutrition information per 2-tablespoon serving:
Calories ………… 200 Fat ………… 22 g Saturated fat .. 3.3 g
% calories from fat .. 96 Cholesterol … 17 mg Carbohydrates .. 1.3 g
Protein ……….. 0.6 g Sodium ……. 305 mg Fiber ………… 0 g
