Lettuce

This version of the classic salad shows why it is a favorite across America.

Cooking romaine in olive oil brings out its sweetness while preserving its crunch.

High-quality ingredients transform this salad into an extremely satisfying weeknight dinner.

Extremely subtle and very delicate, this special dish, called Buddha's Delight because it's completely vegetarian, is all about texture. The biggest challenge in making it is finding the right ingredients, but the reward is worth the effort. Prepared with fresh vegetables, this recipe is sublime. If you can't find them fresh, don't be tempted to use canned (frozen bamboo shoots and ginkgo nuts are acceptable, however). Traditional Buddha's Delight doesn't call for garlic, but we find it makes all the difference. The recipe also serves 4 as a fabulous vegetarian main course.

We've run recipes for this classic salad in various incarnations every few years as far back as the 1940s — with and without raw egg, with and without anchovies, changing up the cheese and even mixing in pasta or shellfish. This version is simply the best.

The hearty greens in this dish retain a bit of their pleasing crunch.

Every bite of this simple, crisp salad literally bursts with flavor. With each bite, you get a splash of juice and the crunch of nuts.

Verjus is a tart grape juice made from unripe wine grapes. Milder than vinegar, it can be used in salad dressings without competing with an accompanying wine the way vinegar does. Look for it at specialty foods stores or online at chefshop.com and terrasonoma.com. What to drink: Pour an Oregon Pinot Noir with the salad and the Herbed Lamb Chops with Pinot Noir Sauce.

We used strongly flavored wild greens because a mild salad would get lost with the rest of the menu. The dressing is a simple and classic vinaigrette.

Kristi Parnell of San Marcos, California, writes: "Whether I'm cooking for my family or for company, I like to keep my recipes healthy by using lots of fresh fish and vegetables. The salmon salad is one of my favorite dishes for entertaining. The ginger-lime dressing is always a hit.

Made with crisp radishes, salty olives, and feta, and dressed with minted olive oil and lemon, this salad really sings. Not technically a grain, but rather the seed of an herb, quinoa hails from South America. (It is often called a "supergrain" because it contains more protein than any grain.) Bulgur comes from the hulled, cracked berries of whole wheat, and has a nutty flavor.

For more variety, stir in other finely chopped herbs such as basil, thyme, or tarragon.

This elegant dish would be lovely for lunch. What to drink: Something light and fruity, like Sancerre or rosé.

You'll have some leftover creamy ginger soy dressing for salad later in the week.

Healthy bonus: Protein, vitamin B12, and niacin from tuna

For a main-course salad, add some grilled shrimp or chicken and diced papaya.

Great with: Grilled rib-eye steak.