When life hands you lemons, grill them. They'll most likely be delicious! What is it about those magnificent deposits of char and carcinogens that make food taste oh-so-good? No matter what you throw on the grill, it's going to come out tasting great. Unless you do something really wrong, like forget to turn it on, the grill is the component that makes Spring and Summer so delicious.
Squash, corn, peppers, steak, chicken, shrimp, lobsters, mushrooms, WHATEVER! However, until tonight there is one thing that had never graced the grate of my grill- lettuce. Weird, right? Wrong. Just like any fibrous, water-filled plant matter, lettuce is great on the grill. Just oil it up, sprinkle with salt and pep and get those grill marks on there. It's amazing!
Now, I don't have any pictures of today's recipe for two reasons. First, I was too hungry and busy preparing the food to take a photo and second, I sliced my finger with a really large Shun Chef's knife that had just been sharpened. Sooo things got a little hairy. But once the bleeding stopped, they got delicious. So, before I forget how I made the dressing, I will reveal the recipe. The dressing is an original that I dreamed up with ingredients I had on hand. Yum!
Grilled Romaine with Garlic-Parmesan Dressing
1 Head Romaine Lettuce, quartered
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Juice of 1/2 large lemon
Pinch Kosher Salt
Ground pepper to taste
1 Head of Garlic, roasted
1/4 c finely grated pecorino romano cheese
1/4 c olive oil
1 dollop sour cream
First, wash and dry the Romaine. Slide the head of lettuce in quarters, lengthwise. Coat with olive oil, salt and pep. Make sure you get the outside of the leaves, or else they will char more than you probably like. Grill lettuce over medium heat, chopped side down until char marks appear. Flip and repeat on other side. Keep an eye on it, cooking time varies based on heat and size of lettuce.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top off a head of garlic. Drizzle with oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until totally tender. You should be able to easily squeeze the garlic out of the skin.
Combine lemon juice, garlic salt, pepper, and cheese, using a fork to mash up the garlic. I totally made up the measurements in this recipe, but at this point the mixture should be pretty thick. Now, whisk in olive oil to create more of a "salad dressing consistency". Last, stir in a dollop of sour cream to make it extra creamy and delicious. Just keep tasting and adding until it tastes "right". There is no way to mess this up, every ingredient is completely yummy on their own.
Slather this all over the Romaine. Eat it up!
Enjoy your grilled greens, folks!
