Caesar Salad is one of my husband’s all time favorite meals, in fact I think we eat it every week. So, when I handed him a plate of this salad, I was a little nervous about whether or not it was going to pass the test (especially since I’d already had some and loved it)! Well he was hooked at first bite, and since it’s in the regular rotation now, I thought you might like the recipe as well! It all started with the best looking basil from our local Farmer’s Market, it was so fragrant my entire car smelled like pesto by the time I got home. I was making my Grilled Italian Sausage Platter, but I was craving something creamy instead of the usual vinaigrette. A few minutes later I was adding basil by the handful to my favorite Caesar dressing recipe, and we loved it so much the next night I created this salad with the same creamy basil dressing. Even though I’m not crazy about Caesar variations, basil is a natural if you think about it. A Caesar dressing has similar ingredients to pesto, and there are definite pesto flavors going on here! The fresh chopped tomatoes snuck in because it’s summer, and vine ripe tomatoes should be in everything! Start by chopping the romaine into bite sized pieces, then wash and spin dry. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, or if you’re using another kind of tomato chop them into bite-sized pieces. For the dressing, combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Don’t let the lemon juice sit in the blender with the egg for more than a minute or two because the egg will begin to break down and the dressing won’t be as creamy. I toast my pine nuts in a cast iron pan over low heat. It takes a bit longer, but the flavor is better when toasted over low, (they’re also really easy to burn over medium heat). For another variation, try my Bacon Kale Caesar Salad. I love summer produce so much! It’s so vibrant, and it tastes so much better than anything I’ve ever bought in the store! Speaking of which, I bought so much of it last night at Farmer’s Market, I was staggering under the weight on my way back to the car, (too much good food = a Farmer’s Market win)! Who can resist vine ripe tomatoes, local cherries, or the quintessential Montana summer treat – huckleberries! No reviews
