Female: A good salad starts with crisp, fresh lettuce which is commonly referred to as greens. While a great salad can comprise of just one type of green. Now more than ever, a wide variety of greens are available year round. Generally, greens fall under three flavor categories mild, bold, or bitter.

Mild greens are the most common choice for salads as they are compatible with many different ingredients. Some examples are green leaf, red leaf, romaine, butter lettuce and spinach.

Bold greens add interesting flavor and complexity to a salad. Water crest for example has a hot peppery taste. Frisée has a bitter yet very mild flavor. Pea shoots have a subtle snappy flavor while arugula also known as rocket is popular for its distinctive spicy flavor.

Bitter greens add contrast and an interesting bite to salads. Some examples of these are Belgian endive, escarole and radicchio. This can either be used on their own or they can be combined with other greens to mellow out their bitterness. No matter which greens you buy, there are only a few things to look for when determining freshness.

For some greens a heavy head can indicate freshness. As this indicates that it still contains a good amount of water. The outer leaf should be crisp with no signs of browning. If they are bruised and wilting, it’s a definite sign of aging. Also, the root end should not be overly brown as this also indicates it may have been picked some time ago.