Some of us (ahem) are still working on shedding that seasonal surplus padding. If you're trying to eat a bit lighter these days, consider making my modified Cobb salad for lunch or even dinner. It's a great way to get your greens and lets you enjoy a bit of turkey, blue cheese and bacon without going whole hog.

The original Cobb salad [1] was a favorite of Hollywood movie moguls, who ordered it regularly at the legendary Brown Derby [2] where it was invented in 1937. In one of those impromptu, “what can we whip up with what's in the fridge” moments, Bob Cobb, the Derby's owner, threw together a salad with whatever he had on hand and served it to Sid Grauman, owner of the landmark Grauman's Chinese Theatre [3] on Hollywood Boulevard.

Grauman liked it so much he requested a “Cobb salad” again the next day. It was added to the menu by popular demand.

My version isn't that different, but I've trimmed the fat in four ways; omitting the eggs altogether; using less bacon and a leaner cut; cutting back on the blue cheese, and making a lighter dressing.

Your salad will only be as good as the sum of its ingredients, so buy the freshest, and the best. I bought my bacon and smoked turkey at the farmers' market, from two Hudson Valley vendors famous for their free range pork and poultry products.

Kat's Kinder. Leaner Cobb Salad:

2 oz Canadian bacon

1 head Romaine lettuce

1 half pint cherry tomatoes

2 scallions

2 oz blue cheese

1/3 cup low fat buttermilk (I use Saco's powdered buttermilk [4] , mixed with Skim Plus)

1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt

2 Tbs cider vinegar

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

12 oz smoked turkey or chicken breast, pre-cooked & cubed

1 avocado, sliced into small pieces

Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove and drain on a paper towel.

Wash and dry the lettuce and tomatoes. Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and cut the tomatoes in half, if you like (if they're small enough leave them whole.)

Cut the scallions coarsely and place in a food processor. Pulse till finely chopped. Add the blue cheese, buttermilk, yogurt, vinegar, Worcestershire, cayenne, black pepper, and salt to taste (go easy on the salt; there's plenty of it in the bacon and cheese already.)

Put the lettuce in a salad bowl; add the tomatoes and turkey. Toss with the dressing, and sprinkle the bacon and avocado on top.

Image: old postcard of Brown Derby Restaurant Los Angeles, California