But on a hot day, cold salmon can stand in for the tuna in a salade Nioise, for another cool meal. Top butter lettuce with steamed green beans, tomatoes, wedges of hard-boiled egg, steamed new potatoes and the little black olives that give the salad its name. Lettuce on the bottom. For a truly simple meal, use the prewashed mixes that come in plastic bags. And experiment with different kinds of lettuce.
Butter lettuce is silky and luxurious, and seems to go well with chicken, lamb and fish.
Chicories and endive are even more sturdy, and often bitter - think of the curly frisee types and radicchio. They go well with sausages and beans. For a retro salad, top shredded iceberg lettuce with chicken or tuna mixed with mayonnaise and seasonings. We've already mentioned grilled meat and fish options. Sliced cold cuts are a staple of the chef's salad.