NAPA WEDGE
with Bacon & Blue Cheese
recipe from...
The classic wedge salad, in all of its overdressed iceberg lettuce glory, will always have a place in my heart. (You can take the girl out of the diner...) But for some occasions, I like to doll it up just a bit. For starters, I'll use crisp, mild napa cabbage, which still gives that signature structure to the salad but with much more flavor. As for the rest, I don't want to mess around too much with a good thing - I mean, when you think wedge salad you want that tangy, creamy dressing; a generous scattering of blue cheese and bacon; and plenty of black pepper - but I do take it up just a notch with a homemade buttermilk dressing, sweet cherry tomatoes, and a spray of edible flowers.
¼ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 small shallot, sliced into thin rounds
4 strips bacon
1 head napa cabbage
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup Simple Buttermilk Dressing
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Maldon salt, to taste
4 ounces good blue cheese, cut into wide thin slices
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
Freshly ground black pepper
Microgreens and edible flowers, for garnish (optional)
IN A SMALL BOWL, combine the vinegar and shallot rings and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes for the flavors to meld and the shallots to soften. In a large cast-iron skillet, arrange the bacon in a single layer and cook over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. when the bacon is cool, roughtly chop into bits and set aside. Slice four 1-inch-thick rounds from the center of the cabbage; discard the bottom end and top of the cabbage. Place the rounds on dinner plates and sprinkle with the shallots and vinegar. Drizzle each round with some of the olive oil and a large dollop of the buttermilk dressing. Mound the tomatoes on top and sprinkle with Maldon salt. Add the blue cheese and chopped bacon to the heap and finish with the chives, a few cracks of fresh pepper, and microgreens and edible flowers, if using. Serve immediately.
SIMPLE BUTTERMILK DRESSING
makes about 1 ½ cups
This is your one-stop tangy, creamy dressing that doubles as a dip. Drizzle it over salads or serve it with crudités or fried chicken for dunking.
1 ½ cups sour cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
IN A MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, lemon juice, salt, and a few cracks of pepper. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.