I don't know about you, but I actually crave salads. To me a salad is like a party going on in your mouth, with a huge variety of textures, colours, flavours . . . or at least it should be if the salad is done right. And I dare to say that this salad I am showing today . . . is done very very right.
Its a beautiful combination of colours . . . a variety of reds and greens . . . browns . . . whites . . . no two shades being alike . . .
You have amazing textures . . . crisp iceberg lettuce . . . soft tomatoes, crisp cucumber and radish . . . crunchy bacon . . . creamy dressing . . .
And you have amazing flavours . . . the smokiness of the bacon . . . the heat of the radish . . . the sweetness of the tomato . . . the cool almost melon-like flavor of the cucumber . . . the sharpness of the onion . . . the slight bitterness from the lettuce . . . and then . . . the creamy tang of that cheddar dressing . . . mmmm . . .
This is a salad that deservedly strives to be the star of the show, and why not! It's both beautiful to behold, and a joy to eat!
The dressing has a lovely bold flavor . . . creamy and rich . . . a little bit goes a very long way. I always use strong/sharp cheddar. To me it is the most flavourful cheese in the world without being in the slightest bit obnoxious.
I could eat the dressing with a spoon . . . I am sure you could too. You really have to make it, if only to serve on a lettuce wedge without all of the other party pieces. I dare say it would also be lovely on grilled chicken or fish.
The artist in me could not help but make little radish flowers to decorate the dish . . . so easy to do with a small sharp paring knife. This ones I took the tip of the knife and make little cuts in the radish all the way around it's circumference, right into the centre, up and down, so you get little pointed zigzags . . . if that makes sense . . . and I really hope that it does.
And then I tied a little bundle of the thinnest chives together to dress it up a little bit more. I thought this was quite, quite pretty . . .
A true feast for the eyes and the palate and nothing is out of the ordinary in the least. Purely simple ingredients put together in a most scrumptious way!
*Cheddar Dressed Lettuce Steaks*Serves 4Printable Recipe A very pretty salad with a lovely creamy cheddar dressing.
For the Dressing:2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely minced
125g of dairy sour cream (1/2 cup)
2 TBS good quality mayonnaise
4 ounces strong cheddar cheese grated (about 1 cup)
3 TBS finely chopped chives
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
You will also need:
1 head of iceberg lettuce, washed, left whole and outside leaves removed and discarded4 TBS chopped fresh cucumber4 TBS chopped fresh tomato4 large radishes chopped1/2 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped 4 rashers streaky bacon cooked until crisp and crumbledsome chopped fresh parsley
For the dressing, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and sugar. Stir in the sour cream, mayonnaise, grated cheddar and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand half an hour prior to using in order to allow the flavours to meld Store any leftovers in the refrigerator and use within 4 days. Bring to room temperature prior to using.
To make the salads, slice the lettuce crosswise into steaks. Place one "steak" onto each of 4 salad plates. Sprinkle a quantity of cucumber, tomato, radish, bacon, onion, and parsley on top of each and drizzle with the dressing. Serve immediately.
You don't have to limit yourself to the salad vegetables that I have used. The Clever Cook could come up with any combination of fresh crisp ingredients to use here. I am a bit pedantic and the chef in me like to cut all of my fresh veg into a very fine dice, but that is me. If you don't mind larger bits, by all means use larger bits. It only matters really that it tastes good, always remembering of course that taste begins with the eyes! Bon Appetit!
