This salad combines smoky grill flavors with fresh vegetable crunch, and drapes it all in a mildly garlicky dressing. The little bit of cheese on top rounds out the interplay between the slight sharpness romaine and summer squash have, while the grilling of the two helps to emphasize the sweetness the underlies these two vegetables.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound summer squash, sliced 3/16ths inch thick 2 small heads Romaine lettuce or 1 large, darkest outer leaves removed and reserved for another use Salt as needed Pepper to taste Olive oil as needed 1 cup White Wine Garlic vinaigrette (See Recipe) Romano or Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, to tasteMETHOD:
Get the grill hot and be sure to scrape it well and oil it if necessary.
Lay the squash slices out on a cutting board or non-reactive baking tray and lightly salt them all over on both sides. Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes, or until the squash starts weeping moisture and gets a little flexible. You do not want the squash getting mushy, just a little flexible so it won’t break if bent a little. When the squash reaches this point, rinse it well to remove the salt, then place on clean towels to dry them.
While the squash macerates, prep the lettuce. Cut the heads of lettuce into quarters (if they are small, just halve them) being sure to leave them attached at the stem. Wash them by dunking into cold water, then shaking them out well. It is desirable to have some water remaining. Put a little olive oil in your hand and rub it over the lettuce. Get some between the leaves and especially into the area around the base of the lettuce.
Make sure the squash is dry, then lightly oil it all over. Season with a little pepper.
Place the lettuce on the grill, cut side down. Grill just long enough to char the lettuce in spots and wilt it a little. Turn and continue to mark the lettuce on each side. The lettuce should have some charring and wilting, but still be crunchy. Remove to a serving platter or very large bowl.
Lay out the squash on the grill, and grill to mark the squash and heat it. This should only take a minute or two per side. The squash should be warmed through and tender, but not soft. Remove from the grill.
Dived the lettuce sections evenly between four plates with the cut sides up and drizzle with a little of the dressing, trying to get some in between the leaves. Lay the squash slabs over the lettuce and drizzle or paint with the dressing.
Season with pepper over all to taste, then scatter cheese over the salads or pass after serving.
Chef’s Notes:
You could turn this into a light meal with the addition of some grilled chicken or shrimp. If you wish, you could use a peeler to scrape off larger pieces of cheese for a greater impact. Cooked fava beans scatter over the salad would be good as well. This is a “knife and fork” salad, but if you wanted to, you could cut the squash into 1½ inch pieces after slicing, and then slice the lettuce to a similar length after grilling and toss all the ingredients together for a “fork” only salad.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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