Either of these cool, delicious, easy-to-make green salads are an excellent complement to Lobster Spaghetti (“A Lobster Odyssey, January 2002).
Romaine, Dill, and Onion Salad
1 head romaine lettuce
1 large bunch fresh dill
2 bunches scallions
1 small red onion
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
Blue cheese, crumbled (optional)
Wash lettuce and chop into strips, starting at root and working your way up. Coarsely chop a healthy amount of dill (enough so you have a third as much dill as lettuce). Chop the light green and white portions of the green onion. Slice the red onion into thin rings. Combine lettuce, dill, scallions, and about one-quarter cup of the thinly sliced red onion in a large salad bowl. Combine oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper and stir briskly with a wire whisk until combined. Taste to correct seasonings. Dress salad, add salt to taste, and toss. For added zip, top with a bit of crumbled blue cheese if desired, and serve immediately.
Cool As a Cucumber Salad
1 European cucumber**
White wine vinegar
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
Fresh dill (optional)
**These long, slender, seedless cukes can be found in almost all supermarkets these days; sometimes they come wrapped individually in plastic.
Peel the cucumber and slice wafer-thin. Sprinkle 5 or 6 shakes of vinegar over cukes. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Toss to coat all slices with vinegar, and cool in the fridge for up to one hour before serving. Garnish with a bit of dill to serve if desired. This salad is simple, but sublime, especially in hot weather.
