Lee White: Lee's Kitchen: How about some romaine salad to fire up the grill

Lee White, The Day, New London, Conn.
·2 min read

May 10—When I was little, my mother used to call me Sarah Bernhardt. I had no idea who Sarah Bernhardt was, and she told me Bernhardt was a famous actress in the early 1900s. I think today my mom would call me a drama queen. She also suggested I not wish my life away, that someday I would wish I could get those years back.

I thought about this again as I was reading my newest food magazines, wishing it were summer again so I could write about late June strawberries, July's sweet corn, August's tomatoes, earthy fall squashes. Look, I'm doing it again, and it is only mid-May.

On the other hand, it is time to fire up the grill. I saw a recipe for grilled kebabs of cake and fresh pineapple on skewers tossed with brown sugar, vanilla and a little salt. I also have romaine in the crisper and some blue cheese, too. I have a fresh pineapple on the counter and a few slices of pound cake. I can wing the dessert, but here is a recipe for the entrée.

Grilled Romaine Salad with Blue Cheese and Basil

From Food magazine, May/June, 2022

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Dressing

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon capers

Kosher salt

6 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

6 oil-packed anchovy fillets (or a teaspoon or two anchovy paste)

1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

3 romaine lettuce hearts, halved lengthwise

Extra-virgin olive oil for tossing

Kosher salt

1 lemon, halved

20 fresh basil leaves

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Sliced rotisserie chicken (optional)

Preheat grill to medium. Make dressing: in a blender combine lemon juice, vinegar, capers, 1 teaspoon salt and the garlic. Blend until smooth. Add Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, anchovies and 1/2 cup oil until smooth. Taste for seasoning. Blend in up to 1/4 cup more oil if needed. Set dressing aside.

Make the salad: In a large bowl, toss 4 romaine halves with a little olive oil and season with salt, put them in a single layer on the grill and cook 3 minutes per side (the romaine should feel slightly warm and tender). Spoon a little dressing on each of 4 to 6 plates.

Finely chop rest of the romaine and add to a medium bowl. Add remaining dressing, a touch of lemon juice and the basil leaves. Toss to coat.

Top the grilled romaine with the remaining dressing. Garnish with blue cheese and serve immediately, topped with diced chicken, if desired.

Lee White lives in Groton. She can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.