Salad Samplers– Grilled Romain

Cindy Ruth’s recipe was a big hit at my house. I think we would have loved it even more if we had a better quality of lettuce–that was the weakest link, here. I did leave out the anchovies for Ken, and also I didn’t find the paste anywhere. But the lemony dressing was wonderful without them! It’s been a really long time since I did homemade croutons and we loved them–nice and garlicky.

Here’s the recipe:

GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD Serves 4
2 heads romaine lettuce
Extra-virgin olive oil
Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette, recipe below
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Chopped tomatoes
Homemade croutons, if desired
Preheat grill to med-high.
Rinse and pat dry the lettuce. Cut the 2 heads in half lengthwise. Brush surface wtih olive oil and grill about 4 to 5 minutes total, turning occasionally. Place each wedge on a salad plate and drizzle with Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette. With a vegetable peeler, shave some pieces from a wedge of Reggiano-Parmigiano over each salad. Top with chopped tomatoes and homemade croutons and serve.
CITRUS CAESAR VINAIGRETTE
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons anchovy paste
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in a pint jar with a lid. Secure the lid, then shake to blend. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.

We also ate a chicken breast with a little mushroom sauce and some squash, onions and red peppers with herbs.
Ken said it was too much food–after he cleaned his plate, totally. But I thought it was a really nice meal.
Thanks Cindy Ruth for the fresh take on our salads.

Comments

Salad Samplers– Grilled Romain — 4 Comments

Annie on June 23, 2009 at 8:45 am said:

I loved the dressing for this one too. Yours looks great!
Jerry on June 23, 2009 at 9:02 pm said:

I agree that itw as a great salad. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I’m glad that I went on this trip with the rest of the samplers!
Cindy Ruth on June 24, 2009 at 1:40 pm said:

I’m glad you enjoyed the salad. It’s become one of my favorites. And if you’re ever looking for anchovy paste, I’ve found it the other day at Safeway, in the isle where the tins of anchovies, cans of clams, etc. are. If you use less than the recipe calls for, you really don’t even taste the anchovy, just gives it more complex flavor.
Marcia on June 29, 2009 at 12:14 pm said:

I also wish our lettuce had been better, and we were sans anchovies, by choice. I thought the dressing was fine without them, and we’re still drizzling it over greens.