Avoiding lettuce right now? Save this recipe for later! Or consider using homegrown or farmer’s market greens. You might also serve the dressed beans on a large layer of big, ripe, sliced tomatoes instead of the romaine. Don’t forget the parm and croutons!
It’s for sure the Dog Days of Summer wherever you live unless you’re in Australia. (And if you ARE in Australia, I’m jealous! I’ve just checked the temperature in Melbourne.) What are “Dog Days” anyway? The Old Farmer’s Almanac tells us:
The Dog Days of Summer run from July 3 to August 11 each year. Far more than a modern saying, the phrase comes from ancient skywatchers who noticed that the brightest star, Sirius, rose with the Sun during this period. For centuries, this hot part of summer has carried both astronomical meaning and layers of folklore.
By the way, Sirius is the alpha star of Canus Major — greater dog.
Dog days make me think more of a hot old dog dragging around with its tongue hanging out after too long of a walk in mid-summer. (And there are people who walk their dogs midafternoon; their poor burning feet!) Or perhaps I’d consider these warm weeks to be the height of hot dog season, as in wieners at the ball park or on the backyard grill. After all, it’s also baseball season.
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