WHAT’S FRESH BUYING OPPORTUNITIES : Lettuce Time : Cool-Season Crop’s Price Is Right for Picking

Lettuce is a mainstay of salads, an essential element in a hamburger and a handy garnish for cooks. It’s wet, crisp, easy to prepare and, according to Craig Underwood, owner of Underwood Ranch, plentiful this time of year.

“The price of lettuce is really good now, because there’s been an abundance of it,” Underwood said.

Head lettuce, the most common variety used in the United States, is the least nutritious and has the least taste compared to leaf lettuce such as red or green romaine, Underwood said.

“If you go into other countries, and especially Europe, they mostly have the leaf lettuces. The flavor and look of leaf salads is much superior to head lettuces,” he said.

James Barker, manager at Underwood Ranch, offers some tips for lettuce eaters.

“Put it in a plastic bag or damp paper bag in the refrigerator, and keep the top open to let it breathe,” Barker said.

When choosing lettuce, he said, one should also check to see that the lettuce butts are still white. “If it’s a dark brown color, that means it’s been cut a few days ago.”

Barker recommends getting your fill of lettuce now, before the summer heat comes. “The mild temperatures we have at the moment are still good for it,” he said. “It’s when it gets blazing hot the lettuce cooks.”

Because of the heat, many area farmers do not grow lettuce in the summer, Underwood said. “The biggest obstacle farmers in Ventura County face is the high price of land and water,” he said. “Farmers from outside the county can grow crops at cheaper prices.”

In spite of that fact, lettuce still ranks among Ventura County’s top cash crops, according to figures complied by the county agricultural commissioner’s office.

Consumers after imported goods can get “good and fresh and tender” asparagus from Stockton, plus red bell peppers from Florida, said Henry Flores, manager of Noren’s Market in Ventura. Flores said that red bell peppers are sweeter than the ordinary green ones.

Also from out of the area are pineapples and papayas from Hawaii, bananas from Ecuador and red roast potatoes from Florida, said Fernando Reynoso, buyer for Jue’s Market in Ventura.

With the weather clearing up, seafood lovers will be able to enjoy a higher quality of red snapper, said Michael Wagner, owner of Seafood Specialities in Ventura. “Red snapper is more available now that the weather is flattening out, and the men can fish more . . . you’re going to see a better quality of red snapper in the market.”

Wagner also recommends the spot prawns caught around the Channel Islands area that are sold live to the small local retail establishments. “Spot prawns are absolutely wonderful sauteed . . . throw all caution to the wind and use butter,” he said. He was quick to add that anyone worried about high cholesterol levels can use olive oil.

The Alaskan halibut season opened in Canada last week and shoppers should be seeing the first deliveries this week, Wagner said.