Dorothy’s Modified Euro-Salad

When I was in high school my friend Debbie and I thought we were on diets.  We went to the Big Boy and ordered the all-you-can-eat salad bar.  After two or three heaping plates of yellowing head lettuce, pale tomatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon bits and copious amounts of Thousand Island dressing, we would have been better off going to Burger king for a Whopper meal.

My days of pigging out at the Big Boy are in the distant past.  Now I make proper salads.  One important thing about my salads is that I never use head lettuce.  If you ask me, that pale roundish ball of crunchy tasteless yuck is not worth spending my money on.  Please use any other type:  Romaine, Endive, red or green leaf lettuce, anything, even spinach, as long as it is not iceberg.

My friends in Slovenia introduced me to eating salad European style.  My Slovenian friends dress salads with olive oil and nice tasting vinegar.  Imagine eating fresh leaf lettuce from the garden, prepared with a couple of cloves of sliced garlic, and a bit of chopped onion every night for dinner.  I miss my friends’ communal bowl in the middle of the table.  If you happen to be eating at Barbara’s mom’s house, you had better make the salad your first course, or you might miss out!  

Dorothy’s Modified Euro-Salad:

            Clean and chop (or tear) lettuce into bite-sized pieces.

Wash the lettuce, make sure to remove all dirt; grit between your teeth works against an appetite!

Crush or mince garlic, chop an onion, and add to salad. 

Pour on some olive oil and toss the salad.  Add vinegar, salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of sugar.

            

Variations:  Sometimes I add one or more of dill, cilantro, Italian seasoning, yogurt, or flavored vinegar for varying effects.  This is your salad, put your mark on it, but try to avoid drowning the salad in dressings from a bottle.  Your body will thank you.