Packed full of protein and fat, Cobb Salad seems to be me the perfect fare for anyone on a low-carbohydrate diet. In 1936, so the story goes, Bob Cobb, the owner of the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, went into the restaurant’s kitchen and put whatever intrigued him into a salad. He served it to some friends, who later came back looking to have it replicated.

A perfect lunchtime salad. Niçoise means “as prepared nice” – in other words, a salad that includes ingredients found on the French Riviera.

A vaguely Indian and very tasty variation, this potato salad goes particularly well with grilled chicken or lamb.

This tangy version of an American classic will be a welcome addition to any picnic or barbecue.

This is ingenious – and delicious – use for day-old bread.

When my sister-in-law, Annette, told me about this summer salad, I turned my nose up at it. But she didn’t warn me how truly amazing it was and that I would be spending a good deal of my summer shucking and shaving corn. If you must, you can use frozen or canned corn, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

This variation on the classic Greek salad includes avocados and bell peppers.

For me, Thousand Island and Russian dressings are interchangeable, as they have as their chief components both mayonnaise and chili sauce. The name “Russian dressing” is really a misnomer because it’s come to be as American as apple pie. One rumor has it that the name derives from the fact that it originally had Russian caviar in it. Today, horseradish or hot dog relish often gives the dressing its texture.

Thick and creamy, this can be used as a dip for crudités or Boston Trio chicken as well as a dressing on any green salad. A slightly updated but classic combo for this dressing is a wedge of iceberg lettuce sprinkled with bacon, avocado, and cherry or grape tomatoes. Another impressive salad combination is romaine lettuce with pears and lightly toasted walnuts. Burgers and roast beef sandwiches also benefit from this tangy combination, as do steamed broccoli and cauliflower.

Legend has it that Green Goddess dressing was created in the 1920s by the chef at the San Francisco’s Palace Hotel in honor of actor George Arliss, who was appearing in a play called Green Goddess. It is said that he requested that a dressing be named after him, but why this particular combination became Green Goddess is a mystery to me.

While this is the traditional dressing for a classic Caesar Salad – whole or chopped romaine lettuce, lots of Parmesan cheese (optional in the dressing but not in the salad itself), and croutons – you can use it as an all-purpose salad dressing. Additionally, you can substitute feta cheese for the Parmesan, and for a main course, add cooked chicken, shrimp, or steak.

When my friend Nancy served this dressing on a simple green salad for family and friends, everyone loved it but no one could guess what was in it. Pal Urit Chaimovitz guess artichoke hearts and husband Steve said honey. But it was 7-year-old Joey who put his nose toward the salad and correctly guessed pesto. While it’s great on any combination of mixed greens, it’s also perfect drizzled on tomatoes and goat cheese; chilled new potatoes; cold noodles with julienned vegetables; and pasta with halved grape or cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.

Although this dressing is high flavored, it complements many different flavors. It’s especially good on a salad of bunch spinach, apples or pears, sesame seeds, and raisins or craisins, or on romaine with cheddar cheese, apples, and walnuts. It can also be used as a marinade for chicken or a drizzle for grilled salmon.

This tart and lively dressing can be used on salads and steamed vegetables (especially artichokes and broccoli), and drizzled on grilled chicken, salmon, or swordfish. Pepper lovers might want to increase the amount of one or both of the peppers (keeping in mind that the heat of the peppers strengthens as they sit). And of course, the pepper can be decreased or simply eliminated.

This salad is just the thing to serve as a summer lunch or as a starter to a meal. The recipe calls for plain shrimp but you can also use Chili-Rubbed Shrimp if you have some left over. I like to scoop it up with tortilla chips.