Greek Lettuce Wraps

April. The spring is fully here and I have been outside as much as possible, which means morning walks with Tyler on the days he does not leave for work before seven, and long Saturday afternoons at the farmer's market with the first of the spring vegetables. I bought a whole armful of green onions and tender lettuces and radishes and the first strawberries, which are not yet as good as they will be in May but are still unmistakably themselves.

Wedding planning is in earnest now. We have the minister, the venue (Gloria's back yard), the guest list at thirty-seven people, and the food plan mostly settled. I have been scouting the yard with Tyler to understand the layout: the oak, the old rose bush at the corner that blooms white in October, the way the evening light hits the back fence. We want the ceremony at four in the afternoon so the light is exactly where we want it. Tyler said: you are thinking about light the way photographers think about light. I said: I learned to cook from a woman who knows how to make the most of what is available. He said: that tracks.

I baked a sourdough loaf this week, my first, with a starter I have been cultivating since January. It took the whole day: shaping in the morning, cold proofing in the refrigerator, baking in the Dutch oven with steam. The crust crackled when it came out and the crumb was open and chewy and it tasted like something worth the patience. I texted Gloria a photo and she said: you baked bread. I said yes. She said: good. She said it like it had been waiting to happen.

The lettuces I brought home from the market that Saturday were so fresh they still had a little dirt at the base of the stems, and I could not stand the idea of doing anything too heavy with them — they deserved to be the main event. I had been thinking about something bright and assembled, something that felt like the season, and these Greek Lettuce Wraps were the answer: all that crisp green working as a wrapper for something savory and bold and finished with a squeeze of lemon. After a week of patience and long proofing times, it was a good thing to cook something that came together quickly and tasted like joy.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb ground lamb (or ground chicken or beef)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 head butter lettuce or romaine, leaves separated
1/2 English cucumber, diced small
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup tzatziki sauce (store-bought or homemade)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Fresh parsley or mint, for garnish

Instructions

Cook the meat. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 8–10 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
Season. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook for another 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat.
Prep the toppings. While the meat cooks, dice the cucumber, halve the tomatoes, slice the red onion, and chop the olives. Arrange them in small bowls for easy assembly.
Assemble the wraps. Lay individual lettuce leaves on a large platter or board. Spoon a generous portion of the seasoned meat into each leaf. Top with cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and olives.
Finish and serve. Add a dollop of tzatziki and a sprinkle of crumbled feta to each wrap. Garnish with fresh parsley or mint and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Greek Lettuce Wraps — Fresh from the Market, Bright as April