Mid-20th century: Childhood salads of iceberg lettuce. Cut and tossed with vinegar and oil. A
little salt, sometimes diced onion. But, now and then, upon a plate, instead, long narrow dark
green leaves stacked, to be picked up, salted, folded in half along firm ribs, and eaten.
Exceptionally crisp and slightly bitter, a juicy taste, refreshing. Romaine. We cleaned the plate.
Late 20th Century. Can a caesar salad be a caesar salad sans raw egg yolk? Indeed it can. Cut
romaine, add grated or slivered slices of parmesan, vinegar and oil, anchovies or not. Also
perfect in wraps, on sandwiches, on tacos; or roasted, grilled, baked into chips. The most
nutritious lettuce, low in calories, high in calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, vitamin
C, vitamin K, folate, and beta carotene.—a love affair with this superfood, salubrious staple in
my own home.
Early 21st Century: Recalls. Recalls. Recalls! At least forty-two romaine lettuce recalls between
2000 and 2020. E. coli, norovirus, Salmonella, Listeria, or Cyclospora. Even organic becomes
suspect. I return to less beneficial but safer iceberg lettuce for that crunchy, juicy taste I crave.
Karen Neuberg is the author of the full-length poetry collection, PURSUIT (Kelsay Press) and the chapbook the elephants are asking (Glass Lyre). Her poems have recently appeared or are in MAINTENANT 17, SurVision, and Unbroken. She is the associate editor of the poetry journal First Literary Review-East.