Bacon From Tradition

With apologies for the corny headline,  I’m at the point in this self isolation that I need a break from the same-old-same-old when it comes to making lunch.

Sandwiches get boring, even a good old BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato). We are isolating at home, and there isn’t a restaurant close enough to deliver something new, so I was looking for a fresh lunch idea.

A BLT is yummy, so why not try an adaptation of the BLT? I’ve had a BLT wrap, even a BLT Caesar in Las Vegas…why not a BLT salad?

Maybe not completely new, but new for us. I had veggies from our nearby greenhouse, Food For Thought Farms, a local business (find them on Facebook) that delivers their fresh vegetables year round. This week’s delivery included lettuce, tomatoes and a cucumber, so I decided to search for a homemade salad dressing and bring together an easy lunch (which would also be an excellent supper).

The end result was a BLT-CC salad; lettuce topped with tomatoes, fried bacon sliced into big pieces (bacon bits won’t bring out the full flavour like big pieces), and the addition of CC in the form of cucumber and grated cheese.

I also had some leftover Bisquick mini biscuits that I made for last night’s supper, and these took the place of croutons. You could make your own croutons, use store-bought ones, or make some decadent white bread toast to go with the salad.

You can really do what you like with this salad, using the base ingredients of BLT – and an amazing dressing.

With credit to Natasha’s Kitchen, the homemade dressing was the kicker. I adapted it by using dried dill from last year’s garden instead of fresh chives. It was delicious this way, and I’m sure chives, parsley, or green onions would work just as well. I am a big fan of homemade salad dressings. A store bought variety can work in a pinch, but making your own puts this recipe over the top.

The end result was worth “bacon” from tradition.