Land and Sea Vegetable Salad

This combination of ingredients yields a highly nutritious salad with a tantalizing, somewhat exotic taste. 6-inch section wakame Water for boiling wakame 1 bunch watercress (large stems removed), chopped 1 medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise, and sliced 1 head Boston (bibb) lettuce 2-3 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds Lemon-Tahini Dressing (see recipe below) Soak wakame in water to cover for 10 minutes, or until just tender. Rinse carefully to remove any shells clinging to the leaves. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, and blanche wakame for a few seconds. Immediately plunge the fronds into cold water so they retain their color. Drain well, cut off and discard any tough ribs, chop fronds, and set aside in a medium-sized bowl. Add watercress and cucumber to wakame and toss together. (Peel cucumber if waxed.) Wash lettuce leaves and spin or pat dry. Arrange bed of lettuce leaves on individual salad plates or in wide, shallow bowls. Place a mound of salad mixture on top of each serving. Edge each mound with radish slices and top with a sprinkling of roasted seeds. Prepare dressing and serve on the side.

This combination of ingredients yields a highly nutritious salad with a tantalizing, somewhat exotic taste. 6-inch section wakam