MONTANA BACON, LETTUCE AND TOMATO SALAD WITH MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK DRESSING

I'm obsessed with tomatoes right now. They are so gorgeous to look at and taste so incredible this time of year. The joy of fresh tomatoes is intensified by the knowledge that shortly one cold morning will end the season. Tom just walked through the dining room and said, “You sure have a lot of tomatoes. What are doing with all of them?” I replied, “I’m roasting as fast as I can!!”

I found this BLT Salad in an old cookbook I picked up during my time in Montana taking care of our Oldest Grand Daughter after she was born. It looked like a great way to use my fresh tomatoes so I made it for a church picnic. As my friend, Beth, and I ate my tasteless BLT Salad, we agreed, “Definitely needs more Parmesan cheese.”

The original salad called for just mayonnaise and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. I decided I wanted a completely different, more flavorful dressing. In the church salad, I had used good shredded Parmesan cheese. However, in my dressing I wanted the flavor of that good, old Midwestern favorite Parmesan that comes in the green container. I used a shot of hot sauce to brighten the flavor and a sprinkle of garlic powder to compliment the tomato flavor.

Pretty to look at and delightful to eat.  Enjoy!!!

MONTANA BACON, LETTUCE AND TOMATO SALAD WITH MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK DRESSING
The amount of lettuce, bacon and tomato is from the original recipe. It fills a 2-quart Pyrex-brand dish. Being a salad you can, of course, add much more of anything to make it bigger.

4 c lettuce, bite-sized, I used Romaine
1 large tomato, diced
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, I used 5 slices
DRESSING
1/3 c mayonnaise, light or low-fat works fine
¼ c grated Parmesan cheese
2 T sour cream
3 to 7 T buttermilk or milk, depending on how thick you want the dressing
Dash of hot sauce
2 sprinkles of garlic powder
Sprinkle of shallot salt, optional
Garlic croutons

Ingredients:  Lettuce, tomato, bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic croutons, and Parmesan cheese.

Plus hot sauce, garlic and shallot salt.

Plus milk or buttermilk.

In a deep dish layer half of lettuce, tomato and bacon. Spread half of mayonnaise mixture on top. Repeat with remaining half of ingredients. Cover and chill salad. Just before serving, top with croutons.

Take off the lettuce core.

Rinse lettuce well.

Spin lettuce to dry or wrap in clean kitchen towel.

Cut off the core of tomato.

Dice the tomato.

Bake the bacon, drain and crumble into pieces.

Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces.  Put half in a bowl.

Add half of the tomato and half of the bacon.

For the dressing:  Measure out mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese.

Put mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese in a bowl, add a dash or two of hot sauce, and sprinkle on garlic powder and shallot salt.  Thin with milk to the desired consistency.

Put half the dressing on the first half of the lettuce, bacon and tomato.

Add the second half of the lettuce, bacon and tomato to the bowl.  Top with the second half of the dressing.  Cover and chill.

Just before serving, top with garlic croutons.

For directions on how to bake bacon, go to:  http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2010/09/baked-bacon-quick-and-easy.html