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• Thinly slice a medium onion and separate it into rings. Salt the rings along with the cucumbers; their flavor will mellow considerably.

• Increase the amount of fresh herbs to 1 cup.

• Toss a cup of bean sprouts into the salad.

Cucumber Salad with Chicken

Marinate 1 to 1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts in a mixture of 2 tablespoons nam pla or soy sauce and 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice while the cucumbers drain. Grill or broil the chicken until it is done, about 3 minutes per side. Cut into strips and serve as you would the scallops.

Cucumber Salad with Shrimp

Treat the shrimp exactly as you do the scallops: Cook about 1½ pounds shrimp (unpeeled are fine if you’re willing to let your family or guests use their fingers at the table) the same way until pink all over. Or peel the shrimp and marinate them for about 30 minutes in a mixture of 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon coarse salt, ½ teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Then cook and serve the shrimp as you would the scallops.

TRIPLE SESAME SALAD WITH SCALLOPS

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 20 MINUTES

THE PERFECT WHOLE-MEAL salad features as much flavor, texture, and bulk as any other well-prepared meal, and the fact that the base is a pile of greens makes me feel like I’m getting away with something. This one takes about ten minutes longer than a plain green salad and by changing the topping can be made in different ways every time, always with a minimum of effort.

Use a blender for the dressing; it makes quick work of dispersing the sesame paste or peanut butter throughout the liquid ingredients—something that can be a real hassle with a fork or a whisk—creating a perfect emulsion. And because the blender purees the garlic and ginger, there’s no need to mince them; just peel, chop roughly, and drop them into the blender with the other ingredients.

My first choice for topping this salad is grilled scallops—they’re almost ludicrously fast and easy, and their texture and flavor complement both greens and dressing—though shrimp, steak, or chicken thighs all could be substituted.

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ cup rice wine or other vinegar

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) or smooth peanut butter

1 tablespoon sesame oil

¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, cayenne, or ground dried chile, or to taste

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped peeled fresh ginger

1½ to 2 pounds sea scallops

Salt

6 to 8 cups mesclun or other salad greens

¼ cup torn fresh Thai or other basil (optional)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1. Start a grill. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, tahini, sesame oil, hot pepper, honey, garlic, and ginger in a blender and whiz until smooth. When the grill is hot, sprinkle the scallops with salt and grill them for about 2 minutes per side; they should remain tender and under-cooked in the middle.

2. Combine the greens and basil if you’re using it and divide among 4 plates. When the scallops are done, top the greens with them, then drizzle with the dressing; sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve.

MUSSEL AND POTATO SALAD

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 45 MINUTES

FOR POTATO SALADS, my dressing of choice is usually a simple vinaigrette—here no more than oil and vinegar—augmented by a handful each of chopped shallots for crunch and flavor and parsley for color and freshness. The result is a great summer dish, good-looking and good-tasting. As it stands, this is a potato salad with mussels; if you like, you can increase the amount of mussels, by as much as double, giving each component equal weight.

2 pounds mussels, well washed and debearded

2 pounds waxy potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes

½ cup dry white wine or water

½ cup chopped shallot or red onion

½ cup extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste

½ cup balsamic or sherry vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup chopped fresh parsley, dill, chives, or a combination

1. Combine the mussels, potatoes, and wine or water in a broad, steep-sided