Watermelon-Feta Salad

Watermelon-Feta Salad

This is basically a Greek salad – replacing watermelon instead of tomatoes.

White Wine Vinegar
EVOO
Arugula & Baby Spinach
Spanish Onion, sliced
Watermelon Cubes
Crumbled Feta
Capers
Olives (Green, Kalamata, Nicoise)
Dried Oregano
Fresh Chives

Whisk 1 part vinegar with 3 parts oil (slowly add oil so that emulsifies), add salt, pepper and a large pinch of dried oregano. Toss with the other ingredients. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle the top of the salad with more dried oregano and fresh chives.

I use various amounts of the ingredients – based upon how many salads I am making and/or if the salads are being served as an entrée or not.

A basic rule is that 1 Tbsp of vinegar and 3 Tbsp of Oil...is enough dressing for 1 entrée salad or two side salads.

Shrimp Ceviche Salad and/or Appetizer

Shrimp Ceviche Salad and/or Appetizer

Monday I was in the mood to finally try and make Ceviche at home. Previously, I had written how my neighbor John had made me that fabulous Salmon dinner…since I still had his plates – I thought this is great: I can make enough to share. He also has this motto (we borrow stuff and give each other stuff we have cooked all of the time) that when he receives a plate or container, he has to return it with something in it…now sometimes this can be as simple as a Hershey's Kiss…I think it is a very sweet motto.

So I returned his beautiful bowl filled with Ceviche Salad. He loved it and I hope you do too!

Ceviche
1 lb – Small Shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 – Lemons, Juiced
2 – Limes, Juiced
2 – Oranges, Juiced


Salad
6 to 10 – Small varieties of Tomato cut into medium dice
(I like to use the Gourmet Medley by Sunset)
*You could also just use a Medium to Large Tomato*
½ Cup – Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/3 Cup – EVOO
¼ Cup – Spanish onion, finely diced
½ Jalapeno Pepper – Finely diced, seeds included
1 Lime, Juiced and Zest
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Arugula & Baby Spinach
Hass Avocado
Chives
Corn Tortilla Chips or Wheat Pitas sliced and baked

To make the Ceviche; toss the shrimp with the citrus mixture in a non-reactive bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator. Refrigerate between 30 and 90 minutes. 30 minutes will be slightly cooked, 60 minutes will be fully cooked, 90 minutes will be very fully cooked and on the verge of becoming chewy…but if the idea of cooking shrimp this way makes you a bit nervous…then by all means go for the entire 90 minutes. I think the more ideal time is 45 – 60 minutes. The bottom line is the shrimp need to have turned opaque – so you know that they are cooked.

Meanwhile, toss the tomato, cilantro, olive oil, onion, jalapeno and lime juice in a bowl to mix. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

When the shrimp are ready, drain them and discard the marinade. Toss into the tomato mixture.

If making salads: take handfuls of arugula and baby spinach and place in the bowls…amount will vary depending on the size of the bowls. I like to bring the leaves up to the brim then dollop some of the shrimp mixture into the center. Place a few avocado slices for garnish and snip some chives over the top.

A nice touch is to add a couple of tortilla chips.

If making appetizers: fill martini glasses with arugula (I would not use the baby spinach)…dividing the Ceviche among the glasses and again, place a slice of avocado as a garnish and snip some chives over the top.

Chives

Chives {Allium schoenoprasum}


A part of the same botanical family as onions, scallions and garlic, chives grow from small bulbs and have a long history of culinary and medicinal uses.

In the Middle Ages, chives were promoted as a cure for melancholy and believed to drive away evil spirits. Today, we know that chives and chive flowers are high in Vitamin C, folic acid and potassium. Therefore, they should be routinely added to recipes to help restore vital nutrients lost in cooking.

This herb's tangy, aromatic taste comes from its high concentration of sulfur compounds and other essential oils, which are also partly responsible for its healing properties. Chives ease stomach distress, protect against heart disease and stroke and may help the body fight bacteria that can cause disease.

In addition, the herb may increase the body's ability to digest fat.

Don't overlook chive flowers – the delicate purple flowers have a milder flavor than the leaves and add a decorative touch to salads, herb oils and other dishes.

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Chive-Flower Oil
1 ½ oz – Chive Blossoms
1 Qt – Vegetable Oil

Put the chive blossoms in the oil. After a week, the oil will turn lilac and take on the fragrance of the chive flowers. Use the oil on salads or in cooking. Keep it refrigerated when not in use.
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The medicinal properties of chives are as varied as their uses in the kitchen. Chives stimulate the appetite and promote good digestion. They can be used to ease stomach upset, clear a stuffy nose, reduce flatulence and prevent bad breath. Combined with a low-salt diet, they help lower high blood pressure. Plus they have a mild diuretic effect, as well as some antibacterial properties.

Chives are valued for their many essential minerals, including cardiac-friendly potassium, bone-strengthening calcium and blood-building iron. As noted earlier they are high in folic acid and vitamin C, they also high in vitamin A. In fact, just 3 ½ oz. of chives supplies enough vitamin C to meet your daily requirement of 60 mg.

Now some more recipes:

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Chive Salt
Add some chives to salt, until it looks to be the consistency you want. Then bake the mixture in the oven to dry the leaves and blend the flavors. When they are cooled you can store in an airtight jar.

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Cottage Cheese with Chives

8 oz – Cottage Cheese
1 Tbsp – Mustard
1 – Shallot
1 Bunch – Chives
½ Tsp – Paprika
Salt
White Pepper

Blend the cottage cheese and mustard.

Peel the shallot, chop finely and mix with the cottage cheese blend.

Wash and dry the chives and snip them finely. Stir about two-thirds of the chives into the cottage cheese mixture.
Season the mixture with the paprika and salt & pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with the remaining chives on top.
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Even more good news: Scientific research shows that chives stimulate the body's digestion of fat. Eaten regularly, chives may help lower blood cholesterol levels.

Since they are high in vitamin C, chives can help to prevent colds. They also speed recovery if a cold develops by helping the body to expel mucus; the sulfurous compounds in chives are natural expectorants.

Here are a few Kitchen Hints when working with Chives:

• Cut chives just before you are ready to use them. This will help to preserve their vitamins, aroma and flavor. Chives are delicate; to prevent the loss of essential oils, snip them with kitchen shears rather than chopping or grinding them.
• Don't heat chives. They will lose their valuable vitamin C, as well as their digestive properties.
• Grow chives at home. Most easily grown in a pot on a windowsill. Wait until the plant reaches about 6 inches in height before cutting. Harvest the chive leaves frequently to prevent blooming unless you specifically want to use the flowers. Once the plant blooms, the leaves become much less flavorful.
• Freeze the chives for future use. Frozen chives tend to retain more flavor than dried chives. Snip fresh chives into small pieces, then place them in an ice-cube tray and fill it with water. To thaw, put a chive cube in a strainer.
   

Well I hope that I have maybe educated you a little and inspired you to add chives to your diet. They are good for you!

Baja Chopped Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing

Baja Chopped Salad

8 oz – Baked Chicken, Chopped (A Rotisserie from the supermarket works just fine)
¼ Cup – Haas Avocado, Cubed
¼ Cup – Black Beans (Fiesta Black Beans or Garbanzo Beans work well too)
1 – Scallion, chopped on a diagonal
¾ Cup – Tomato, Chopped
½ Cup – Olives, Halved (you can use Black, Kalamata or Green or a combination)
¼ to ½ Cup – Cheddar Cheese, Grated
Cilantro, To Taste (I use quite a bit…as I really love this herb)
1 Bunch – Romaine Lettuce, Torn (If I have some Arugula on hand I also add some of that)
Tortilla Strips (for garnish)

Creamy Cilantro Dressing – To Taste

Mix all ingredients except the tortilla strips in a bowl with about ½ Cup of the dressing. Garnish with the tortilla strips. I often put more dressing on the table if folks want more – but so far they just munch it up! But if you were to serve it to someone that really likes their salad drenched in dressing, they may want more. It is important to toss the dressing in with the salad, prior to serving. Or at least – I think so!

Creamy Cilantro Dressing    

1 packet – Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 Cup – Mayonnaise
1/3 Cup - Buttermilk
1 – Lime, Zest & Juice
2 Cloves – Garlic, Roughly Chopped
½ Cup – Cilantro, Roughly Chopped
¼ Cup – Green Salsa, Medium to Hot (depending on your taste and tolerance)
3 or 4 Dashes – Hot Sauce (High Quality Sauce and more dashes if you like it really hot!)

Combine buttermilk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender, just until mixed. Zest the lime and then squeeze the juice into the blender. **Note if the lime is not very juicy – then add the juice of a second one**. Add the garlic, cilantro, green salsa and hot sauce. Blend very well. Once well-blended taste and add more hot sauce if necessary. If the idea of the hot sauce scares you – then you should wait until after you have blended everything else before adding.


Pour into a bowl (or other container) and cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before using.
***This also makes a wonderful Vegetable and/or Chip Dip for parties! ***

Mexican Pork Tenderloin with Salsa Verde & Avocado Salad

I have wanted to make a Salsa Verde for quite some time and I had a 1.7 lb Pork Tenderloin in the fridge – so I decided to make a light "south of the border" style meal. This is what I came up with! 

Salsa Verde

10 to 12 Tomatillos – husk removed
2 Cloves – Garlic
½ – Medium Onion, chopped
1 – Cup Cilantro, lightly packed
1 - Small Italian Pepper (or just use half of a large one)
½ - Jalapeño, seeded
1 Tbsp – Olive Oil
1 Packet – Con Culantro Y Achiote Seasoning (Sazon Goya)
½ Tsp – Cumin
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Boil the tomatillos in a large sauce pan or pot for 7 to 10 minutes. You want them soft but not overcooked. Drain and submerge in cold water to stop the cooking process and to allow cooling faster. Once they are cool enough to handle, cut into quarters. Place in a food processor along with the garlic, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, olive oil, Sazon seasoning, cumin and pulse for about 10 seconds. Scrape the sides down and taste, add salt and pepper as necessary and repulse until you reach an even consistency. Remove from food processor into a glass or non-reactive metal bowl – cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, so that the flavors can blend. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to serving.  This recipe makes more than you will need for this menu.  Use the rest with tortilla chips or with any other dish you desire.


Mexican Pork Tenderloin
(Serves 4)

1 – Pork Tenderloin (1 to 2 lbs)
1 Packet – Sazon Goya con Culantro Y Achiote Seasoning
1 Packet – McCormick's Sazon with Coriander and Annatto
1 to 2 Tbsp – Taco Seasoning
1 Tsp – Cumin, Heaping
3 to 4 Tbsp – Weber Roasted Garlic & Herb Seasoning
1 Tsp – Salt
1 Tsp – Pepper
1 Tsp – Dried Thyme
1 Tsp – Dried Rosemary
2 Tbsp – Olive Oil

Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator and rinse it off and pat it dry. Place in a shallow baking dish lined in aluminum foil.

Using a mortar and pestle, blend all of the dry ingredients. I like to add one at a time to get a very nice blended flavor.  Also, please note that I do indeed use the McCormick's and the Goya Sazon products as they have differences in flavor (both are great and you could just use one or the other).

Coat all sides of the tenderloin with the dry rub and place fat side up, drizzle with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil down the piece of fat in a zigzag manner. Let rest and come to room temperature (at least one hour & up to 3 hours).

Preheat oven to 450°.

Drizzle the remaining olive oil down the center of the loin. Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 250°. Bake for 50 to 80 minutes – until internal temperature reads 150°. Remove from the oven and take the tenderloin and place on a cutting board and tent with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Slice and serve.

Avocado Salad
(Serves 2 to 4)

1 – Ripe Haas Avocados, peeled and pitted
1 – Tomato, halved and sliced thin
½ - Medium Onion, halved and sliced thin
2 – Limes
1 – Lemon
1 Tbsp – Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice the avocados into strips, combine with the tomato and the onion, salt and pepper to taste. Place into a glass bowl or non-reactive metal bowl and squeeze the juice of the lemon and the limes and lightly toss. Drizzle in the olive oil and again slightly toss.

This makes a great meal.  Very filling, yet light.  To serve, place your slices of pork on plate and place the salsa vertically down the middle of the pork and put the salad on the side.  This is a spicy dish - so if you don't like spicy foods - this probably would not work very well for you.

Saturday Night Salad with American-French Dressing

Saturday Night Salad with American-French Dressing

You can make the salad however you like with whatever ingredients you have on hand. I am going to give you the recipe for the dressing and the ingredients that I put in this particular salad as I think they complement each other very well.

Amercian-French Dressing

1 Tbsp – Onion, finely diced or pureed
1 – Small Clove of Garlic, also finely diced or pureed
½ Cup – Vegetable or Canola Oil
3 ½ Tbsp – White Wine Vinegar (or Regular White Vinegar)
1/3 Cup – Catsup
1 Tbsp – Sugar
1 Tbsp – Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 Tsp – Paprika
Dash of Hot Sauce
Dash of White Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium glass or non-reactive metal bowl, except the oil. Once the ingredients are well combined, slowly add the oil and whisk continuously to emulsify.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

As for the salad – I just eyeball the amount of the ingredients I want to use. I base it solely on the portion size of the bowls. I usually like to toss the dressing with my leaves – but in this case – I like to have the salad put together, pour the dressing over (again as much or as little as you like) and then crumble the bacon on top.

Baby Spinach Leaves, washed and stemmed (discard any wilted leaves)
Onion, thinly sliced into 2-inch slivers
Radish, halved and thinly sliced
Kalamata Olives, quartered or halved
Roasted Red Pepper, thinly sliced into 2 inch strips
Egg, hard-boiled and quartered (I use 1 egg per salad)
Bacon, chopped into small pieces and fried, drained on a paper towel
(I use 1 to 2 pieces per salad)
Feta Cheese, diced into 1 inch cubes
Gruyere or Swiss Cheese, diced into 1 inch cubes

Assemble, Dress, Crumble and Enjoy!

I make a large salad as you see in the picture and drink with a nice glass of white wine. Fabulous Dinner! I think that a Riesling pairs up nicely with this salad. But as in anything – if you have a favorite white wine use that one instead.

Spanish Potato Salad

This makes a great side dish for seafood. It has a very nice smoky cumin flavor and once you let the flavors marry, you will love it even more. Enjoy!


Spanish Potato Salad

Serves 2

3 – Small Potatoes, peeled and diced into medium-sized chunks
1 – Small Onion, sliced thin and roughly chopped
3 – Large Queen Spanish Olives with Pimento, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp – Mayonnaise
1 Tsp – German Style Mustard (Medium)
1/8 Tsp – Cumin
2 – Chive stems, snipped into small pieces
8 – Rosemary Leaves, snipped into small pieces
1 Tbsp – Fresh Chopped Parsley
¼ Tsp – Celery Salt
1/8 Tsp – Ground Black Pepper
1 Tsp – Butter
¼ Tsp – Paprika (or Salad Supreme Seasoning)
4 Pieces – Bacon, chopped into small pieces
2 – Eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Dash of Hot Sauce

Sauté bacon in skillet until done (not over crispy) and drain on paper towels.

In a small bowl, mix the onions and olives with the cumin and let it sit while you are preparing the bacon, potatoes and the eggs.

Boil potatoes in water and butter in a small saucepan. Don't overcook as you want them to retain some texture. Drain and set aside to cool a bit.

Boil the eggs. I bring mine to a rapid boil and boil for one minute then I remove them from the heat and cover tightly for 15 minutes. Once done – run under cold water and peel.

Whisk mayo, mustard, Worcestershire and hot sauce in a medium non-reactive metal or a glass bowl. Once the potatoes have been drained and cooled somewhat (you still want them warm just not piping hot) – Fold them into the mixture.

Then add the olive/onion mixture. Once combined finally add the herbs and dried spices.

Finally, fold in the chopped eggs.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour and can be even kept overnight. Chop bacon sprinkle on top just before serving. If you have leftovers, it is okay for the bacon to be in it – just use by the next day so that it does not become soggy.

Saturday Night Sangria

Saturday night I invited two of my neighbors Gus & Wally and a friend of mine Marc over for dinner. Now Gus & Wally really like Sangria – but they are not really "drinkers". Add to the mixture that Marc is a vegetarian (with the exception of dairy and fish) and Wally doesn't like 99% of seafood. So I came up with the following menu:

Sparkling Sangria
Decadent Caesar Salad
Pesto Olive Garlic Bread
Lasagna di Livorno

Gus & Wally brought Italian desserts from a local establishment….Tiramisu and Cannoli's. I also made Coffee to go with the dessert. I was going to make Praline Coffee but my coffee maker decided to pitch a fit and explode…so I had to improvise with just a regular blend….it worked out wonderfully.

Sparkling Sangria

1 – 750ml Bottle of Prosecco
1 Pint – Pomegranate Juice
1 Cup – Orange/Pineapple Juice
1 Cup – Limeade
1 – Orange – Sliced into Quarters
2 – Limes – Sliced into Half Slivers
Pomegranate Seeds for garnish.
Orange Slice for garnish.

In a glass pitcher, place the oranges and limes. Pour Prosecco into pitcher and blend in the pomegranate, orange and limeade juices. Chill for at least 1 hour. Put Pomegranate Seeds in bottom of large glasses and then fill with ice – pour in the Sangria. Very refreshing!

As for the salad, I used my Caesar Salad Dressing that was previously posted – the only changes I made were that I added the extra juice of one lemon and instead of Anchovy Paste – I finely chopped a tin of Anchovies and mixed them by hand into the dressing. As for the components of the salad – I used what I had on hand…Romaine Lettuce, Croutons, Parmesan Cheese, Kalamata Olives, Radishes, Artichoke Hearts, Shallots, Alfalfa Sprouts, 1/2 Tsp of Celery Seed (mashed with a mortar and pestle) and Bacon (cut into 1 inch pieces for those of us that eat meat).

The bread and lasagna recipes are in separate posts.

Ina’s Guacamole Salad

This is an ideal side dish for a cookout. I like to serve it with the Blue Cheese Burger's that were in the previous post. By doing so – you really don't need to dress up the burger other than some simple arugula and the special sauce that was also in the previous post. The Lime Zest really gives it a "zing"…everyone kept mentioning it and how much they loved it. I hope you do too!

Ina's Guacamole Salad

1 Pint - Grape Tomatoes, halved
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, seeded & ½ inch diced
1 (15oz.) Can – Black Beans, rinsed & drained
½ Cup – Small Red Onion, diced
2 Tbsp – Jalapeno Pepper, seeded & minced (2 peppers)
½ Tsp – Lime Zest, freshly grated
¼ Cup – Lime Juice, freshly squeezed (2 Limes)
¼ Cup – Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 Tsp – Kosher Salt
½ Tsp – Fresh Ground Pepper
½ Tsp – Garlic, minced
¼ Tsp – Ground Cayenne Pepper
2 Ripe – Hass Avocados, seeded, peeled & ½ inch diced.

**To make a larger batch – I add an additional pint of Cherry Tomatoes and 1 Orange Bell Pepper, I also add a can of the spicy black beans and then just double all of the other ingredients.** 

Place the tomatoes, bell pepper(s), black beans, onion, jalapeno and lime zest in a large bowl.

Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss Well.

Just before ready to serve – fold the avocados into the salad. Serve at room-temperature.

***Also please note that when I am cutting the avocados - I make sure that there is lime juice on the cutting board and I douse them again as I am cutting them, to keep them nice and green.***

 

Tangy Tomato and Mango Salad

The other day I was at Whole Foods getting some ingredients for some original recipes that I have been working on (and still are as they are not coming out the way that I had hoped…lol). I saw this woman getting very excited by some fruit but I didn't really know what they were…so I asked her and she said that they were Champagne Mangoes and were only in season for a short time. I then of course saw the placard stating that they were indeed Mangoes. She suddenly asked the attendant to cut one open so that we could taste it and he did much to my surprise. It was very delicious (a little milder and maybe even sweeter than a regular mango). So I decided to buy a couple…with no idea if I would just cut it up and eat it or make something with it. I had also found some wonderful Heirloom Tomatoes while I was there (I am always pleased to find heirloom, beefsteak and even ugly tomatoes, as I think they have the best flavors). You could use regular mangoes and any type of tomatoes that you had on hand or suited your taste for this recipe.
           

I also bought some vegetable quesadilla's while I was there (the ones that they make onsite) and so I looked through some recipe books and found the following recipe to go along with it and I am really glad that I did. Now I only made a small salad for myself and had to change the amounts…but I am posting the original recipe from the 2010 Food & Wine Annual Cookbook.  

Recipe by Star Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Tangy Tomato and Mango Salad
(10 Servings)

In Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's version of a dish from his friend Maya Gurley's St. Bart's restaurant, Mayas, he dresses plum tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and sweet, juicy mango slices with a simple red wine vinaigrette.      

¼ Cup plus 1 Tbsp – Red Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup – Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Salt
3 – Large Shallots, Thinly Sliced
2 Cups – Thinly Sliced Basil Leaves
10 – Medium Tomatoes, Sliced ¼ Inch Thick
3 – Large, Ripe Mangoes – Peeled, Pitted and Sliced ¼ Inch Thick
 In a small bowl, combine the red wine vinegar with the olive oil; season the dressing with salt. Add the sliced shallots and 1 Cup of the basil and toss well. Arrange the tomatoes on a platter and top with the mango slices. Drizzle with the dressing, garnish with the remaining 1 cup of basil leaves and serve.

Anna’s Family Caesar Salad Dressing

I decided to post a recipe that I use very often. I call it a "go-to recipe". I was lucky enough in the late 80's and through the 90's to become an "adoptive" member of my best friend Jeff and his wife Anna's families. Both families treated me as if I were one of their own. I have so many wonderful memories of those times. Jeff, Anna, Uncle Wally and Miss Sylvia (Wally and Sylvia were Anna's parents) are all gone now…but every time I make this dressing I can feel their love and it always brings back a flood of those memories. This is Miss Sylvia's recipe and often when I am making it I put on "Imagine" by John Lennon (this was her favorite song) and for some reason when I do that – it taste even better!  I am a firm believer that if you are in a good mood and put "love" into your food - not only does it taste better it is better for you!  I often play music when I am cooking.  Try It!


Caesar Salad Dressing
1 Cup – Sour Cream (Regular or Light)
½ Cup – Mayonnaise (Regular or Light)
2 Tsp – Lemon Juice (Fresh)
1 Tsp – Worcestershire
1 Tsp – Dry Mustard
1 Clove – Garlic (Crushed)
½ Tsp – Curry Powder
1 Tsp – Beau Monde Seasoning (or Celery Salt)
1 Tbsp – Anchovy Paste


Mix all ingredients in blender or in bowl with hand-mixer. Chill well, toss with your favorite salads. Of course it was written for a Caesar Salad…but I use on all types of Salads.


*I prefer using Celery Salt as I find Beau Monde to be a bit too salty for my taste. If you like salty food then by all means use the Beau Monde.*


"I think this salad is much more elegant and special than tossed salad for dinner parties/holidays." As noted by Anna – she was referring to a Classic Caesar, using Romaine, Croutons and Shaved Parmesan Cheese.


**Easily doubled and keeps for 2 weeks covered and in the refrigerator.**

Oops I almost forgot...

Also on the previously noted menu was an Iceberg Wedge Salad with Bacon and Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing.

Iceberg Wedge Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese Dressing

The Dressing:

2 Cloves Garlic
Salt
3 Tbsp. Sour Cream
¼ cup Buttermilk
2/3 cup  Mayonnaise
1 Tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp. White Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup of EVOO
4 to 5 ounces of Crumbled Blue Cheese (I prefer the milder kinds for this dressing)
2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 Tsp. Ground Pepper
1 Tbsp. Fresh Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley

In a bowl, whisk the above ingredients through the EVOO (which needs to be whisked in slowly to emulsify).  Then fold in the Blue Cheese and the Lemon Juice - season with pepper and parsley.  Taste - add salt if necessary.  Refrigerate until chilled.

For the Salad:

1 Head of Iceberg Lettuce (Quartered)
3 Tbsp - Snipped Chives
½ lb.- Thickly sliced bacon cut into 2 by 1/2 inch pieces (Applewood Smoked Bacon is Best)
¼ Red Onion – Sliced Very Thin and halved
2 Radishes (Red) Sliced Thin

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp.  (About 10 minutes)...transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Put each lettuce wedge in a wide salad bowl, sprinkle chives, onions, radishes onto the lettuce.  Drizzle the dressing over the wedges and sprinkle with the bacon pieces.