by Mark R. Vogel

I'm fascinated by people that can make a salad a meal. "What did you have for lunch today?" "Oh I had a salad." OK, then what did you do for the next hour? People joke that you're hungry soon after eating Chinese food, (which I've never found to be true), but for me, it's salad that doesn't fulfill me long enough to even pay the check. Again, it boggles my carnivorous mind how an organism can feel sustained on plant matter alone.

On that note, allow me to introduce you to Apatosaurus, (formally known as Brontosaurus), a sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Jurassic Period some 150 million years ago. At 75 feet long and weighing 25 tons, it was one of the largest animals to ever walk the face of the earth. Apatosaurus was an herbivore. It's been estimated that a full size Apatosaurus needed to consume at least 200 lbs of plant matter a day to sustain itself. Two hundred pounds of greens! I think I would have rather been a T-Rex. Although I wouldn't have had any salt to sprinkle on my fresh kill, or a nice red to wash it down with.

With no further ado, I give you Summer Salads V, my fifth compilation of herbivorous fare for all you Apatosaurs out there. Actually, two of the three recipes are for omnivores. The one salad includes lobster and the other is adorned with bacon and chicken. I need some protein with my greens or I'll become extinct.

SUMMER SALAD
(Serves 10)

This recipe comes from Deborah Thompson of Taswell Indiana.

For the salad:
4 stalks fresh broccoli, broken into bite size florets (reserve stalks for another use)
8 large fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small purple bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small head cauliflower, broken into bite size florets
1 medium yellow squash, cut into 2" slices

For the dressing:
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vinegar
1 small onion, grated
2 tablespoons poppy seed
1 1/2 cups olive oil

Combine broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, celery, cauliflower, and yellow squash and toss lightly. In a separate bowl combine all of the ingredients for the dressing except the oil. Then slowly whisk in the oil until fully incorporated. Pour over the vegetables. Chill at least 3 hours before serving.

ORIENTAL COLD LOBSTER SALAD

This recipe comes from Chef Jude Sutton of the Culinary Companion: http://www.theculinarycompanion.com

1 (two-pound) lobster, whole, cooked
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced chives
1/4 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Mixed salad greens as needed
Cilantro, chopped, as needed for garnish.

Remove the lobster meat from the shell and cut into bite size chunks. Mix all of the remaining ingredients except the lettuce and cilantro to form a dressing. Mix the lobster meat and the dressing and chill. Serve over the greens and garnish with the cilantro.

BROWN DERBY SALAD
(makes 6 servings)

This recipe comes from Mary Ellen Scott of thatsmyhome.com

Salad: 1/2 head iceberg lettuce
1/2 bunch watercress
1 small bunch curly endive
1/2 head romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 chicken breast, cooked, boned, skinned and diced
6 bacon strips, cooked crisp and diced
1 avocado, peeled and diced
3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and diced
1/2 cup Roquefort cheese, crumbled

Special French Dressing: 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup vegetable oil

For the Salad:
Chop iceberg lettuce, watercress, endive and romaine into very fine pieces. Mix together in a large, wide bowl. Arrange chives, tomatoes, chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs and cheese in rows over lettuce.

For the Special French Dressing:
Whisk all of the ingredients except the oils. Then slowly whisk in the oils until incorporated. Pour over the salad and serve.

About the Author:
Mark R. Vogel is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. He also has a BA in economics and Master's and Doctorate degrees in psychology. Over the past two decades he has worked as a waiter, bartender, chef and manager in an array of restaurants. Currently he is a culinary instructor and food writer. His column "Food for Thought" is published in a variety of periodicals and websites. Be sure to check out Mark's website www.foodforthoughtonline.net