To go along with our fabuous sandwiches in my last post, we had this delicious salad.
It takes a little prep, but is so worth it. This is the ONLY dressing we eat at home anymore, and it is frequently requested by Z.
Last time we spoke, I mentioned that sous-chef Zack was working on a little something in the kitchen when I got home from work. He was beginning the salad by getting the garlic roasting on the stove, like this:
Yeah, looks good, doesn’t it? Here’s what you need:
-10 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-1 tablespoon dijon mustard
-salt & pepper
-grated Parmesan
-2 hearts Romaine lettuce
**This recipe is for 4. I usually do 6 or 7 cloves for the 2 of us and pretty much keep the other measurements the same.**
-In a small skillet, combine garlic and oil. Over low heat, brown and caramelize the garlic until brown and soft (about 20 minutes.)
-Transfer garlic to blender or food processor. (I use my blender.)
-Add vinegar and mustard. Blend until smooth. With motor running, slowly stream in the oil you used to cook the garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
-Chop lettuce into bite-sized pieces and put in large bowl. Pour dressing over the top and toss to coat. Sprinkle cheese on top and server immediately.
**This is the important thing about this recipe: this dressing is SO versatile. In its true form, it’s sort of like a caesar salad. (If you are using romaine, make sure you soak to release any trapped dirt particles.) But we commonly use it with spinach, like we did here. We’ve also substituted blue cheese and gorgonzola for the parmesan. We like to add sliced almonds to it. I’m considering adding lemon or raspberry to it in the future to make a vinaigrette. And quite frankly, it’s better to toss the whole thing together, cheese and all!**
And here’s how pretty it looks on the plate:
you are what you eat...or reheat 
this dressing looks fabulous. but does that much garlic make you “aromatic” for days? or is it so incorporated into the other ingredients that it’s milder?
We LOVE garlic, so I might be a little biased, but I think it’s incorporated pretty well. And sometimes if the cloves are really big, we’ll reduce the number.