Lettuce

I was a "Sesame Street" fan as a kid. On the show, Kermit the Frog lamented about being green, singing "Bein' Green." That song came to mind yesterday afternoon at the Coupeville farmers market while I looked at a table of lettuce, leaves "tired" after a few hours on display.


"Bein' Green"

It's not that easy being green
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold
Or something much more colorful like that

It's not easy being green
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're
Not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water
Or stars in the sky

But green's the color of Spring
And green can be cool and friendly-like
And green can be big like an ocean, or important
Like a mountain, or tall like a tree

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why
Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful
And I think it's what I want to be

The lettuce that farmers cultivate today began as a weed in the Mediterranean Basin. References to it go back more than 4,500 years in the form of Egyptian tomb paintings. Greek scholars also identified various types of lettuce. Christopher Columbus allegedly introduced it to the New World.


Available May through October at the Reserve, lettuce provides cool, crispy refreshment on even the hottest summer day. I love sitting down with my salad at dinner and reflecting on my conversation that day with the farmer who picked and washed the greens the day before. I hope to someday feel a similar connection to all my food.

Photos and post by Sierra Young