SALINAS, CA - When a new salad variety hits the wire, it’s cause for celebration here in the office of AndNowUKnow. (Or, more realistically, the remote home couch of a certain Andrea Allen.) But nevertheless, this new salad offering from Church Brothers Farms is going to knock the socks off of me, consumers, and buyers. The Tuscan™ Tender Leaves—which are a blend of European style lettuces, including oaks and tangos and lolarossa—provides all an aesthetically pleasing offering while being scrumptious to boot.

“We are growing and blending this new mix of lettuce leaves to provide more benefits and value to end users,” said Rick Russo, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “This is a superior product to a traditional spring mix; we established this new mix after extensive reviews with multiple seed companies and seed trials. We selected the best varieties based on shape, color, and taste.”

According to a press release, the Tuscan Tender Leaves are unlike other baby lettuces in that they are grown to full maturity. This provides a sturdy leaf structure and strong shelf life. The crop is mechanically harvested, meaning that less labor is required. Once they are harvested, they are blended together, triple washed, packed, and shipped to their final destination.

“Tuscan Tender Leaves look like an unprocessed mix that could be found at a farmers market,” Russo said. “Our tests show that these particular leaves hold up to hot proteins and dressings, which significantly cuts back on kitchen prep time in banquet/catering applications, and gives any salad a fuller plate appearance.”

On the plate, Tuscan Tender Leaves has a higher loft than spring mixes, creating higher portion yields and more servings per pound than spring mixes. The flavor is sweet, and has more body, crunch, and texture than baby leaves. Church Brothers is now shipping this product to its customers nationwide.

A new must-have in the salad aisle? Seems that way to me!

Church Brothers Farms