Salads don't just have to be lettuce... and I'm not talking about the kitchen-sink salads with chick peas, bacon, chicken, mushrooms, sprouts, peppers, croutons, big handfuls of bright orange cheese, etc.
I'm talking about using that herb garden I KNOW you planted. Use as a base some mixture of flavorful greens (from the lettuce bed I KNOW you planted... OK, OK, I'll stop) like arugula, leaf, Boston, Romaine, endive, radicchio, etc. To that, add some soft herbs: parsley, tarragon, basil, thyme, oregano, etc. I'd stay away from rosemary and even from my fave, sage. You'll be surprised at the deep full flavor you get when the herbs aren't just an afterthought. And if you want a little extra crunch, then I say defy the food police and use some iceberg!!!!
This salad consisted of about 1 Cup of baby arugula, 10-12 leaves of basil, 10 chives, and about a teaspoon each of thyme and oregano... it really doesn't taste like lawn clippings... the flavor gets somehow darker and a little more mysterious than "lettuces" alone.
