Lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow, even on a balcony. They grow quickly, can be harvested as you need them, and you can plant regularly throughout the year. You can buy seedlings, but at about R5 each they are about one-third of the price of a greengrocer lettuce. Far better grown from seed, and the best for home growing, is the mixed lettuce - misticanza - available in seed packs. The imported ones cost more but have a generous amount of seeds.You can sow the seeds where you want them to grow, but in summer you will have to water the soil every evening to avoid baking them. They like sun but can take some shade, especially in the afternoon. I avoid iceberg lettuce, as it prefers cooler conditions and does not seem to form the compact heads that we buy in supermarkets.story_article_left1Lettuce grows best within a range from 7°C to about 27°C. Hot weather makes it bitter; extreme cold freezes it. Plants are also inclined to bolt sooner in hot weather, ie send up a flower stalk, whose leaves also become bitter. The plants like a soil rich in organic material.By growing loose-leafed lettuce varieties, you can harvest as you need the leaves, by cutting off the outside ones and leaving the plant to grow. But that won't stop it eventually reaching maturity and bolting.It's hard to mess up a lettuce salad, although many do. It's all in the dressing. A good vinaigrette is essential, but now that everyone is Banting we can also return to cream-based dressings long out of favour. A Russian-style salad would be dressed with a mixture of four mashed hard-boiled egg yolks, sour cream, a little vinegar and herbs such as chervil, fennel and tarragon.The Swedish do a similar salad using one raw yolk with two boiled ones, mustard, vinegar and cream. You can chop the egg whites and include in the salad.Cooking with lettuce used to be more common than it is today, and you can easily stir-fry shredded lettuce with garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce. Alternatively try this recipe for braised lettuce with peas - it's a French classic that's perfect for summer evenings.mini_story_image_hright1BRAISED LETTUCE WITH PEASIngredients:30ml (2 tbsp) butter4 baby leeks or 8 spring onions, chopped4 little gem lettuces200ml fresh chicken stockSalt and pepper60ml (4 tbsp) fresh cream or crème fraîche500g frozen baby peasMethod:1) Melt the butter in a large pan with a lid. Fry the leeks or spring onions gently for about 5 minutes until softened.2) Clean the lettuces and cut in half lengthways through the base. Place the lettuce cut-side up on top of the onions and cook for half a minute on each side. 3) Add the stock and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Remove the lettuce with a slotted spoon and set aside. 4) Boil down the remaining sauce until reduced by half. Add the cream or crème fraîche and peas and cook until heated through. 5) Arrange lettuces in a serving dish and pour over the sauce. If you don't like cream, replace it with olive oil and lemon juice...