Denny's Summer Mint Salad

Few salads have as light and fresh a taste at this one Denny Baxter tosses. But because it's one of his few culinary successes, we had to bribe him to reveal its secrets.

1 head romaine lettuce
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 (loosely packed) cup fresh mint leaves
2 cups toasted bread croutons

Dressing

6 drops mint extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Be sure the head of romaine lettuce is as crisp and fresh as possible. One trick in shopping is to examine the cut stem end of the head. In general, the less rusty-red on the cut, the fresher the head, but also be sure the leaves aren't starting to wilt.

Remove the ends of any wilting leaves, and cut the head crosswise in 3/4-inch strips, discarding the solid core near the stem. Gently break apart the strips, wash in cold water, and spin dry. (If you do not have a salad spinner, put the washed lettuce in a plastic shopping bag, punch several pencil-size holes in the bottom, and go outside and rapidly swing the bag in circles for a minute or two. The centrifugal force will drive the water to the bottom of the bag and out the holes.)

Dump the lettuce into your favorite salad bowl (clear glass if possible so the salad can be seen), add the shredded red cabbage, mint leaves, and croutons. Toss lightly to distribute evenly.

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing, taking care to disolve the sugar and salt, which may require extra stirring.

Wait until people are actually ready to eat before drizzling the dressing over the salad and tossing it one last time. The trick to its fresh taste is immediate consumption.

Variations: Substitute for the red cabbage thin strips of 1/2 of a sweet red pepper or leaves of radicchio. You can add slices of a Vandalia onion, but only if it is sweet and mild. This salad should not take on a distinctly “oniony” flavor.

Serves 4-6.