Grilled Salad

It's been a long while since I've been able to sit down and write up a recipe for Blog Appetit, so I thought I would pull one from my files. So here is a little recipe perfect for the good weather we have been enjoying in northern California lately -- Grilled Salad. The grilling creates a smoky interest to the otherwise bland lettuce and the acid dressing is balanced out by the sweetness the cooking brings out of the vegetable. The photo of lettuces below was taken at the Berkeley, CA, farmers' market last fall.

Grilled Salad

The mother of one of my best friends was visiting from Chicago. As her son-in-law was grilling the marinated flank steak, she insisted on grilling the lettuce. Her daughter and I were skeptical.

“Oh, we do it all the time,” Jean insisted. “Well, maybe if it was radicchio ….” Jody and I said.

Well, it wasn’t radicchio, it was romaine and it was delicious.

Whole, washed romaine lettuce leaves
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Parmesan Cheese
Lemon Juice or vinegar to taste

Mix together olive oil, sea salt and pepper
Pour over lettuce leaves and turn until coated
Over a medium fire on a greased grill, lay down leaves and check and turn regularly until slightly wilted and charred

Take off grill, toss with bit of lemon juice or vinegar and grated parmesan cheese.

Eat with knife and fork or chop roughly before serving