chopped romaine salad with homemade ranch dressing

When it comes to salads, I have a strong fondness for one that crunches.  I used to eat iceberg lettuce as you might eat quarters of apples - and usually unadorned with dressing.  Those baby lettuces, so pretty but so limp, do not ring my bells.  So you're not surprised to know how much I love romaine lettuce, especially the paler, lower leaves.

Bouncing back from a few weeks of drinking a lot of peppermint tea and eating buttered toast fingers, I had a sudden craving for a good crunchy salad and a dressing other than my usual red wine vinegar with olive oil.  Once upon a time, I loved ranch dressing, but I've gotten picky about ingredients and tried my hand at a homemade version.  About the fifth try I got lucky  - though my fridge is now filled with bowls of all the rejects.  Still crunchy, still good, though.

For the lettuce:

One head of crispy green romaine lettuce

Trim off the bottom of the lettuce, then use a large knife to slice off inch-width ribbons of lettuce.  If the pieces are too large and floppy, slice through the pieces once or twice until the pieces are a manageable bite size.


For the dressing:

In a clean jar mix:
1/2 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 t. kosher salt
4 T. mayonaise (I use Hellmann's olive oil mayo)
2 T. sour cream
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. dried dill ( I dry my own)
1/8 t. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup buttermilk ( if you want it thick) OR
2/3 cup buttermilk (if you want it thin)
1 T. minced fresh chives

I like to spoon or pour some dressing in the bottom of the bowl before I add the lettuce, then add a little more once the bowl is filled.  I like a LOT of dressing!

Enjoy the Fall colors!  The dry summer has muted the leaf colors so far, but the air is crisp and walking and hiking is a pleasure.