Though small, these petite heads of red or green bibb lettuce are actually fully mature. Bibb lettuce is sweet and crunchy, similar to romaine but much more delicate. While the root end and core of these little gems is green, they sometimes fan out into a beautiful maroon halfway up and through the tips and are consistently sweet, crisp, and versatile. Gem lettuce makes great wrap for Kung Pao chicken or can be used as a lighter taco shell for grilled fish. You can also use them as lettuce cups for various protein salads or to hold dips for a crudite plate. We also love a grilled Caesar salad--halve the little gems, baste with butter and char quickly on the grill. Dress as you would your favorite Caesar for a uniquely smoky, summer salad treat.
Chester, NY
Choy Commons is a nonhierarchical cooperative of Asian-led farms working together to build a more connected and equitable food system in the Northeast. Founded in 2021 by farmers who met through the Asian Farmers affinity caucus, Choy Commons grew from a shared desire to build community and explore what it means to be Asian American within the food and climate justice movement.
Their name reflects that vision. “Choy,” the Cantonese romanization of 菜, means leaf vegetable, evoking the East Asian foods and agricultural traditions that connect their farmers to their heritage. “Commons” speaks to their commitment to reciprocity—with the land and with one another—and to sharing food, resources, labor and knowledge.
Choy Commons supports small farms through collaboration, grows ancestral foods for their communities, redistributes resources to provide food to those in need, and creates space to practice and adapt cultural traditions. By weaving together farms, community organizations, mutual aid groups, food purveyors and cultural practitioners, they are cultivating not just food, but a shared sense of belonging, interdependence and food sovereignty.