I love making this type of salad, and on the weekend I took full advantage of my time and spent it doing other things rather than cooking.
The dressing:
Acids to oil ratio should be about 1:3 or 4. 1 part acid to 3 or 4 parts oil. I made enough dressing that could have done a serving for 4 or 5, so I only used a bit of it. I actually didn’t measure so my measurements are guesses, just so you know.
- Juice of one whole lemon
- A tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil, to the ratio above
- Teaspoon of dried oregano
- A couple squeezes of honey
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed
- A pinch of Kosher salt, a few grinds of black pepper
- Half teaspoon of your favourite mustard, I used whole grain
I mixed all of this into a mason jar, shook vigorously, and set aside.
Salad:
- Romaine heart, one head
- 6 sweet cocktail tomatoes (they’re a smaller tomato available at the Superstore, really delicious for an out of season tomato)
- Half a small red onion
- Half an English cucumber
- 12 Kalamata olives
- Several small cubes of feta cheese
- One small carrot, grated
- A couple handfuls of wild-caught Maritime shrimp (bought at Misty Harbour Seafood)
In a large bowl, I tossed everything but the shrimp with the dressing very well. A well-tossed salad needs little dressing. I shake my head at anyone who ever asks for dressing on the side, and then awkwardly tries to coat their salad on their plate, especially if they asked for it on the side to cut down on the amount of dressing on their plate. I then topped the salad with shrimp, and served some bread on the side.
Lemonade, two large servings:
- Rind and juice of 7 lemons plus 2 shots of vodka
- Let that infuse with about a half a cup of sugar (or more, to taste)
- Because I had some on hand, I also put in a few Kaffir lime leaves
I let it sit for a few hours and then I strained it, poured over two tall glasses of ice, and added another shot of vodka to each glass.
I filled each glass ¾ full, topped with sparkling mineral water, stirred, and served.
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Bio: Dan Jones is a food, drink, and travel writer from Saint John. Follow him on Twitter: @danjjj
