Produce of the Week - Grenobloise Lettuce
sponsored by Coleman Farms

Grenobloise lettuce, also known as Rouge de Grenoble, seems hard to find: a brief mention in an earlier column comes in the first page of Web search results, while a reference to our sponsor's Salads page comes in the second. The first entry returned is a botanical description. Judged on its own merits, Grenobloise deserves much better than this.

On the stand, Grenobloise is often mistaken for Vulcan (a.k.a. "Red Leaf"). The mistake is understandable. Grenobloise is a heading lettuce, but the heads are quite loose and, together with the dark purple-red leaf margins, do suggest Vulcan to the casual observer. However, the texture and build of the two leaves is quite different. Vulcan has a minimal central stalk or vein, and a very soft leaf which is somewhat pleated. The Grenobloise leaf surface is very uneven, almost bubbly along the margins, with somewhat more prominent branching veins and a crisp texture. In appearance, Grenobloise is fairly close to Vulcan; in texture it is closer to Sierra, distinctly crisp but with a thin leaf that is tenderer than Romaine, say.

Vulcan is one of the mildest of lettuces, with a light palate cleansing 'lettuce flavor' and little else. Grenobloise is much fuller flavored, with a hint of nuttiness and suggestions of fruit such as cherry. There is none of the bitterness often found in Romaine.

The flavor and color of Grenobloise suit it well to mixed salads, where its reserved but developed flavor can serve as a background for tangier elements such as escarole or arugula, or complement the mineral flavor of Perilla or the sweet/tart crispness of a lettuce like Little Gem or Romaine. The large highly textured leaf holds dressings well, which is another reason to mix it with the smoother-leaved lettuces. And, being crisp but not hard, flavorful but not tart, Grenobloise makes a fine salad all on its own. It's also good as a platter liner, where the purple-red margins and dark green shading to white of the inner leaf will set off a wide variety of foods. The large crisp leaves are also suitable for 'stuffing', if you feel like it. Grenobloise is a fairly durable lettuce which is good in sandwiches, though it's unlikely to hold up in a bag lunch quite as well as Sierra or Romaine.