Did you ever think that you could enjoy a salad with locally grown lettuce while there was still snow on the ground in New England? I bought a large bag of greens from NorthStar farm, located in Westport, MA at the Somerville Winter Market this weekend. The farmer told me the organic lettuce is grown in an unheated greenhouse during the winter. Each leaf is crisp, clean, and just about perfect. I gave it a quick rinse, and tossed it with some shredded carrot for a simple side salad. I have no idea how these greenhouses really work, but they certainly produce some great tasting lettuce! I was initially worried that the lettuce might go bad before I had time to finish the bag, but the remaining unwashed leaves are keeping very well in the refrigerator. Here’s to local salads for the week….

• Salads