BLT SALAD!

I don't know about you but I can't seem to get enough tomatoes this season. I don't know if it's lack of a certain nutrient or that I won't buy tomatoes if they're mot home grown. Luckily, I've had lots of friends offering freebies.

I love BLT's on toasted bread and I love salads so this recipe melted my heart.  

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

For the salad:

1 small baguette

2 tbsp. butter

salt and pepper

6 oz. bacon

2-3 medium tomatoes (Please only use home grown)

1 heart of Romaine lettuce, rinsed, dried, and chopped (about 3-4 cups)

1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

For the dressing:

1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced

Juice of half a lemon

3 tbsp. low fat Greek yogurt or mayonnaise

3 tbsp. buttermilk

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450* F.  Remove the crust from teh baguette and cut into cubes, about 3/4 to 1 inches.  Combine the cubed bread in a bowl with the melted butter and toss to coat evenly.  Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake about 6 minutes, tossing once or twice during baking, until the bread cubes are golden brown and somewhat crisp. Set aside to cool.  Meanwhile, heat a large skillet to medium-high and cook the bacon until crisp but not burned.  Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined place and let cool.

In a large salad bowl, combine the toasted bread cubes, tomatoes, lettuce and Parmesan.  Crumble the cooked bacon over the top.  Toss gently to combine.  In a jar or small lidded container, combine the garlic, lemon juice, Greek yogurt (or mayo), and buttermilk.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Portion the salad into serving bowls and drizzle each serving very lightly with the dressing.

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*Make ahead instructions: For best results, this dish should be assembled just before it is served.  However, all of the components can be prepped in advance so that all that is required before serving is a bit of mixing.