Fresh Rapunzel fresh from the field. The healthy lamb's lettuce

In May, the first lamb's lettuce is available from the field. The leaves of native fields are particularly crisp and intense in aroma. Corn salad tastes solo, but also mixed with other leaf salads and seasonal fruits such as strawberries. If you like hearty, combine it with fine bacon cubes and walnuts. What many do not know - the leafy vegetables are also ideal for smoothies. Optically, the drink is an eye-catcher, as when crushing a rich green tone.

Corn salad is one of the healthiest salads. The vitamin C content of 35 mg per 100 g is three times as high as that of lettuce. In addition, the leaflets contain appreciable amounts of beta-carotene (3.9 mg per 100 g), folic acid (145 μg), iron (2 mg), phosphate (50 mg), magnesium (10 mg), potassium (420 mg) and calcium ( 35 mg). Essential oils give it the typical nutty taste. Another advantage: Corn salad with 14 kilocalories per 100 g is extremely low in calories.

So healthy is lamb's lettuce. Image: Annett Seidler - fotolia

The lamb's lettuce has many names such as Rapunzel, Ackersalat or Mäuseöhrchen and is widespread throughout Europe. The plant (Valerianella locusta) belongs to the family of valerian plants and reaches a stature height of up to 15 centimeters. The leaves are spatulate and stand together in a rosette. Only for about 100 years, the lamb's lettuce is used as a crop. Until the beginning of the 18th century, it was only collected as a "weed" on the field or meadow edge.

Corn salad should be thoroughly washed before eating so that any existing sand does not grit between the teeth. First, the small roots are cut off from the stems, without the rosettes falling apart. In a bowl of cold water remove sand and earth and drain the leaves in a sieve. In a salad spinner, they are gently freed from the remaining water. So the leaves do not fall together, and the dressing can adhere better.
Corn salad is delicate and should be eaten as soon as possible. In the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator it stays fresh for a few days. The rosettes are best stored a little damp in a bag with air holes. (Heike Kreutz, aid)