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BLT (and O) Salad

Source of Recipe

From "Beans, Greens and Sweet Georgia Peaches"


Recipe Introduction

"When I was a very small boy, my grandmother and I would get all dressed up -- she in high-heeled pumps, hat, and gloves, I in Sunday shorts and oxfords -- and go downtown to shop. An invariable part of these adventures was lunch at the Woolworth's lunch counter. I, who at the time lived in a place called Grassy Pond, thought we were being so sophisticated. I no longer remember what my grandmother ordered on those occasions, but my choice never varied: A BLT on toast. I loved it then and unapologetically love it now. It's not without reason that the BLT became a diner standard: It's easy and good. Since basically a BLT is a salad between two slices of toast, I didn't see why my old favorite, with its classic combination of flavors and textures, would not be just as good on a salad plate, especially with a bit of Vidalia onion thrown in."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 medium ripe tomatoes
â—¦ 2 medium Vidalia or other sweet onions
â—¦ 8 to 12 romaine lettuce leaves, washed and well drained
â—¦ ½ cup mayonnaise
â—¦ Salt and whole black pepper in a mill
â—¦ 1 cup Buttered Croutons (recipe follows)
â—¦ 8 slices bacon, fried crisp
â—¦ 1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives or parsley



Recipe

Peel the tomatoes with a vegetable peeler, core them, and cut them into ½-inch slices. Cut the slices into dice and put them in a salad bowl. Split the onions lengthwise. Trim off the root and stem ends, peel them, split each half lengthwise, and then slice into thin strips. Cut 4 of the lettuce leaves into bite-size pieces. Add the lettuce and onions to the tomatoes.

Add the mayonnaise to the salad bowl along with a generous pinch or so of salt and a few liberal grindings of pepper. Toss until the vegetables are evenly coated. Taste and correct the seasoning, but don't overdo the salt, as there's still a salty element that will be added by the bacon.

Line four individual salad plates with the remaining lettuce leaves. Add the croutons to the salad, give it one last toss, and divide it among the prepared plates. Crumble the bacon evenly over the top of each, sprinkle with herbs, and serve at once.


Serves 4


Buttered Croutons:

â—¦ 2 ounces (4 tablespoons or ½ stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ 2 cups crusty bread, cut into ½- to 1-inch cubes (depending on how you plan to use them)

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 300° F. Put the butter in a shallow pan (such as a rimmed baking sheet or sheet-cake pan) that will hold all the bread in a single layer. Put this in the oven until the butter is melted.

As soon as the butter is melted, add the bread and toss until it is thoroughly coated. Return the pan to the upper third of the oven and bake, tossing the croutons from time to time, until they are delicately browned and crisp, about ½ hour.


Makes 2 cups