Butter lettuce salad on a hot summer day

Nothing speaks of freshness and summer days like butter lettuce. Okay, maybe a watermelon does but we're in Manhattan not in Mississippi. Melting in your mouth like butter without leaving a guilty feeling, it's the perfect green when you're in the mood for something lighty and airy.

Live Butter Lettuce is available in the grocery stores these days which means that it staysfresh for up to three days when you are ready to use. I made a simple salad with these tender greens, mushrooms and fresh parmesan.

I started by sauteeing a pack of assorted mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil. I threw in some lemon thyme. You should try it if you haven't already - it adds a lovely aroma and subtle citrus flavour. Once the mushrooms were well done, I left them to cool, about twenty minutes. Meanwhile, I took out a chunk of parmesan cheese and cut finger sized strips. And I made a simple dressing using white wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Once the mushrooms were ready, I tossed all the ingredients together and added some coarse sea salt and ground pepper. A nice accompaniment would be lightly toasted baguette slices but I'm trying to watch those carbs again so bread is a no no!