Sunday, August 16, 2015

BLT Salad - as a meal




AUGUST MUST SURELY BE MY FAVORITE MONTH. Summer fruits and vegetables are at their peak of ripeness, abundance, and affordability. Brilliant pink crepe myrtle and golden black-eyed Susan on every corner cheer me. The scent of lavender fills the air.

Our back yard is alive with butterflies and hummingbirds. Not to mention all the other critters--birds, bunnies, squirrels, chipmunks, an occasional raccoon and snake, even a bear. I have seen foxes and deer around town, but so far not in our yard.

Suppers are casual and relaxed and we often dine by fireflies.

Our next door neighbor gave me a bowl full of cherry tomatoes which inspired a BLT salad. I roasted the tomatoes and also made croutons with some leftover chiabatta bread. I cooked the bacon until crisp, thinly sliced some red onion, chopped an avocado, and served it all atop a bed of freshly washed and dried, crisp lettuce, and topped it with homemade blue cheese dressing.





BLT Salad
Freshly washed and dried lettuce
Thinly sliced red onion
Crisp bacon
Diced avocado
Roasted cherry tomatoes
Croutons
Homemade blue cheese dressing (Recipe)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place cherry tomatoes on a rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss lightly and spread into a single layer. Roast for 15 - 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.

Cube day old French bread or ciabatta into bite sized pieces. Place on a rimmed sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss lightly and spread into a single layer. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

Arrange the onions, bacon, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and croutons on top of a bed of crisp lettuce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with blue cheese dressing.





8 comments:

  1. Your salad looks wonderful and easier to put together than sandwiches. I now live on the West Coast and miss fire flies.

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    1. Lynn, I didn't realize there were no lightning bugs on the West Coast. I would miss them too. Oh, the things we take for granted. Thank you for taking my appreciation of these beauties to a higher level. --Rocquie

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  2. I love a good BLT salad! And this one looks outstanding. Our cherry tomatoes have been wonderful this year -- super flavor, and pretty abundant. Good things, because the rest of our tomatoes really haven't produced well. Anyway, this is great -- thanks.

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    1. John, I think this was my first BLT salad but it won't be the last. We never had luck growing tomatoes and finally gave up. The birds, bees, and butterflies are happy that we stick with flowers now. Thank you for your comment, Rocquie

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  3. Your salads are always stunning, and this one is no different. What a refreshing dinner, thanks for sharing this.

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    1. Melynda, we really enjoy salads, or fancy sandwiches,as meals in the summer. I'm making a salad tonight I don't think will look very pretty but we shall see. . .Thank you for your lovely comment, Rocquie

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  4. This is fresh & fabulous looking! I never get tired of the blt in any shape or form!

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    1. Reeni, the BLT really is a classic flavor combination isn't it? Thanks for your comment, Rocquie

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