Content
Corn salad is not a particularly well-known and “promoted” green in Russia. In general, it has nothing to do with the leaf lettuce familiar to gardeners; the plant belongs to a completely different family. However, the culture definitely deserves attention: its rich chemical composition provides complex health benefits. It is not difficult to grow, and the possibilities for use in cooking are very wide.
What does a corn salad look like?
To botanists, the greens sold in stores under the name "salad corn" are known as Valerianella spica or oleracea. There is a second official name - “field salad”. The plant belongs to the genus Valerianella and the Valerian family. Its natural habitat is areas with a temperate climate in Asia and Europe, the North African coast.
In most European countries, Valerianella spicata has its own name, which is very different from the official one. For example, in Germany it is known as "rapunzel", and in Russia it is sold as "salad corn", a name "borrowed" from the English language.It is explained by the fact that the plant was, in fact, a weed in corn beds.
Now the plant is cultivated on an industrial scale mainly in Asian countries (China, Thailand, Indonesia)
Lettuce is a herbaceous annual. The height of the plant varies between 10-40 cm. The stems are intensively branched, “angular” at the base, with clearly visible “grooves”. The lower leaves are wider, with a blunt end, somewhat reminiscent of a shovel. Higher up the stem their shape changes to lanceolate, and at the very top - to elongated linear.
Flowering occurs in April-June. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, whitish, collected in dense inflorescences in the shape of semi-umbrellas. After flowering, rounded fruits ripen. The seeds extracted from them remain viable for 3-4 years.
Corn salad flavor
The taste of corn lettuce leaves is typically “green”, relatively neutral. It is characterized by a light refreshing-spicy aroma and a pleasant nutty aftertaste with subtle notes of tart bitterness.
Growing Corn Lettuce
The crop reacts very negatively to heat: it practically stops developing, the quality of the greenery suffers, and the content of useful substances in it decreases. Therefore, sowing is carried out quite early, in central Russia - already in the first ten days of April.
In general, due to the rapid rate of ripening of greenery, the crop can be planted several times per season. But it demonstrates maximum productivity precisely during the first sowing. It is also practiced to plant seeds before winter, but in this case the beds must be mulched.
There is no need to grow seedlings.The seeds already demonstrate good and “massive” germination. The bed is first cleared of plant and other debris, dug up, and fertilizers are added in the process. Immediately before planting, loosen the soil and water it moderately.
The seeds are sown to a depth of about 1.5 cm. They are quite large, so they can be sown “individually”, maintaining an interval of 8-10 cm between them. The recommended row spacing is 12-15 cm.
Shoots appear in a week and a half if you cover the bed with black covering material or polyethylene - 2-3 days earlier
Planting care is limited to moderate watering twice a week. Greens ripen very quickly, 15-20 days after germination, so they do not need fertilizing.
Composition and calorie content of corn salad
Corn salad has a rich chemical composition and low calorie content, so including it in the menu is definitely worth considering for those who are forced to adhere to a diet for medical reasons or want to get rid of extra pounds. 100 g of fresh greens contains only 21-23 kcal.
There is a minimum of fat in the leaves (only 0.4 g per 100 g), corn salad contains more proteins and carbohydrates (2 and 3.6 g per 100 g, respectively), the latter in a form easily digestible by the body. It also does not contain cholesterol and dietary fiber, which can make food “heavy” and difficult to digest.
Of the substances beneficial to the body, the following can be noted in greens:
- many vitamins (A, C, E, almost all group B);
- macro- and microelements (sodium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, selenium, manganese, copper);
- phytonutrients;
- flavonoids.
Beneficial properties of corn salad
The rich chemical composition of corn lettuce provides its “multiple” health benefits:
- Restoring mental balance, “helping” in the fight against depression and chronic stress. Regular inclusion of greens in the diet also helps to get rid of causeless mood swings and anxiety attacks, characteristic, for example, of hormonal “changes” in the body associated with pregnancy and menopause.
- Strengthening the immune system. This is due to the high content of vitamin C in greens. Other substances in its composition also help to “support” it.
- Normalization of blood composition. In particular, corn salad is useful for reducing the level of “bad” cholesterol and increasing hemoglobin. Preventing the appearance of cholesterol “plaques” and strengthening the walls of blood vessels helps normalize blood pressure.
- Removing waste and toxins from the body, “cleaning” the intestines. Corn salad activates the digestion process. Therefore, it will become a very valuable addition to any “heavy” dishes, for example, meat.
- “Support” of normal vision, prevention of negative age-related changes.
- Stimulation of tissue regeneration processes at the cellular level and metabolism. This, in particular, helps maintain youthful skin.
Corn salad can not only be included in the menu, but also used in home cosmetology
Contraindications for corn salad
There are not many contraindications for including corn salad on the menu. First of all, this is individual intolerance. Allergic reactions of varying degrees of intensity to greens are rare, but not impossible.
In addition, it is recommended to refuse it if you have:
- Chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (ulcers, gastritis, colitis). If consumed excessively, corn salad increases the acidity of gastric juice and activates the process of its synthesis, which can provoke an attack.
- Stones in the gall bladder, kidneys, and other chronic diseases of the excretory system. Potassium and sodium salts contained in the root salad, when there is an “excess” in the body, activate the process of formation of new stones. Salts increase the load on the kidneys and excretory system - to maintain the water-salt balance, they are forced to work more actively in order to remove them from the body in a timely manner.
Use in cooking
The leaves are quite tender and thin, but at the same time pleasantly crunchy. Therefore, they can become a completely “self-sufficient” dish. You just need to season the greens with high-quality olive oil, balsamic vinegar, low-fat sour cream or yogurt. You can also add a little lemon juice, spices to taste, any seeds (sesame, flax, pumpkin, chia) and lightly salt.
Fruits and berries will add originality to the taste of corn salad. The most popular combinations are with citrus pulp and strawberries.
Also in cooking, corn salad is in demand as an ingredient for “green” smoothies and salads. Sellers include it in “mixes” with spinach, chard, arugula, parsley, dill, celery, and watercress. Among vegetables, it harmonizes most successfully with tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, and zucchini. For satiety, you can add cheese, boiled eggs, chicken or other lean meat, olives, and nuts.
A fresh corn salad with extras to taste and a light dressing will be an excellent breakfast.
Greens also go well with hot dishes. Corn salad complements well the taste of meat, poultry, game, fish (especially salmon), and seafood. Lingonberry sauce would be a very good addition.
You can use corn lettuce as an ingredient for vegetable stews and soups. First, it is “simmered” in a frying pan until a softer “creamy” consistency is obtained.
How to replace corn salad
Fresh corn lettuce can be replaced with almost any leaf lettuce. It tastes most like arugula. Brussels sprouts also have their characteristic bitter-nutty notes.
If taste is not important, spinach, watercress or regular white cabbage or broccoli are quite suitable. This “substitution” is most often practiced when corn salad is used as an ingredient in a smoothie.
Selection and storage
Corn salad is rarely sold in bulk in stores.Most often, greens are packaged in polyethylene, cardboard or kraft paper, so it is not possible to assess the quality and freshness of each leaf. Here it remains to focus on the packaging itself, as well as the deadline for sale.
The name of the manufacturer also provides certain guarantees, if it is a well-known company with a solid reputation.
The shade of green should be uniform, without spots. Any mechanical damage (tears, “notches”), as well as traces of mold and rot are unacceptable.
Corn lettuce purchased or collected from the garden is “disassembled” into individual leaves. There is no need to wash it - the greens are immediately wrapped in a damp cloth or placed in a hermetically sealed plastic or glass container and placed in the refrigerator.
Fresh and high-quality corn lettuce leaves are rich green, with clearly defined veins
However, even with proper storage, the “shelf life” of root lettuce is short. It will last in the refrigerator for a maximum of 4-5 days. The greens begin to lose their characteristic freshness, juiciness and crunch after just three days.
Conclusion
Corn lettuce is a green vegetable that has a very rich chemical composition and is easy to grow. However, it will be beneficial to health only if you take into account the existing contraindications for use, and also know how to choose and store it correctly. The taste of corn salad is relatively “neutral”, but quite original and memorable: this provides wide possibilities for its use in cooking.
