I am having a love affair with Iceberg Lettuce

Yes, I admit it.  I have found myself in a torrid love affair with that pale green lettuce leaf thought by many foodies as crunchy water that doesn't even deserve to grace a salad plate.  Ok, maybe torrid is a little dramatic, but I have to tell you, I was one of those iceberg snobs for a while, but no longer.  

I have always associated iceberg lettuce as a "starter" green.  It was the first lettuce I ate as a child.  First, on sandwiches and cheeseburgers, then I made the brave, bold move into the salad.  As a kid, salads were for grown ups.  So in middle and high school, when you had the option of the regular cafeteria food or the salad bar, I ate salad!  Iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, cucumbers and maybe some tomatoes, drowning in Thousand Island Dressing with croutons like little lifeboats floating in my salad.  I thought I was pretty big stuff.  

Then I was introduced to the Caesar Salad and Romaine lettuce.  This was another salad that I got to drown in a creamy dressing and cover in croutons, but Romaine, now that was fancier than Iceberg! Iceberg was for chumps!

On I went from Romaine to Spinach, Arugula, Mesclun, Dandelion Greens, the list goes on and on. Other than Romaine, these are the greens my husband likes to call, weeds from the backyard.  But I love them.  Some are spicy, or bitter, others are sweet or tangy.  As I began to experiment with these new greens, my dressings changed as well, from creamy and thick to light vinaigrettes.  And then I found out you could put fruit on a salad! And nuts! And all sorts of wonderful things! Never again would I eat that bastard child of the greens family, iceberg.  Not when there were all these other wonderful greens around! 

So a few weeks ago, I made Green Goddess Dip for the raw vege tray for a party I was having.  It has become my new favorite dip.  Then I bought a new cookbook, because next to my current torrid love affair with iceberg lettuce, I have an addiction problem in the form of collecting recipes.  Be it through Pinterest, cookbooks, or cooking magazines, I have hundreds of thousands of recipes.  If I stopped collecting recipes now and only made recipes from all the cookbooks and recipes I have pinned to Pinterest, I would not be able to make all of the recipes in my lifetime.  It's really rather ridiculous, but I digress.  This cookbook, Earth to Table, Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm, by Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann, is wonderful.  I absolutely love the idea of seasonal, local cooking.  That's not to say that I don't make things out of season that aren't local, but I try.  One recipe that caught my eye immediately was Iceberg Wedge with Green Goddess Dressing.  Oooo! Green Goddess Dressing? Yes! Bacon? Yes! Cherry tomatoes? Yes! Blue Cheese? Yes! Pickled Onions? Yes! Iceberg lettuce? Really? 

I gave it some thought and decided, I would give it a whirl.  Maybe I could get the boys to eat it.  I mean, it is a "starter" green!  Well, my children refused to eat it.  It's a leaf, mom! But they did eat the tomatoes and the bacon, baby steps.  Right? But let me tell you, I LOOOOOOVED it.  Super crunchy and sweet.  I forgot how refreshing iceberg lettuce can be.  And let me tell you, this sturdy little head of pale green leaves has a longer shelf life than its dark green, delicate counter parts.  I can't tell you how many times I have purchased a bag of Mesclun (Spring Greens) and they have gone bad if not eaten that day! And that is particularly frustrating if you don't want to have to go to the grocery store several times a week! 

Since making this salad, I have made it and differing varieties of a wedge salad or ordered wedge salads when we go out to dinner at least 6 times in the past two weeks.  I can't get enough of it! Sometimes I use the Green Goddess Dressing, sometimes a Balsamic Vinaigrette, but always with a big ol' wedge of iceberg lettuce! That doesn't mean that I don't still love a spring green mix with grilled chicken breast and sliced strawberries with roasted pecans and red wine Vinaigrette dressing, but I will no longer turn up my nose to the humble iceberg.  

If it's been a while since you ate this lovely green, or if you are not a vegetable person, I encourage you to have your own adventure with Iceberg lettuce.  While I am not reprinting the original recipe from the cookbook that I spoke about earlier, I am posting my modified version of Green Goddess Dressing.  Most of these recipes are very similar, and mine is slightly different from the one on the book so I feel like I can call it mine.  I will also give you some ideas for really easy wedge salads with which you can experiment.  But, I also encourage you to check out this book.  If you live locally, I purchased it at the Carriage House Market in Hanover.  Speaking of local, seasonal food, this is a great place for just that thing!  If you aren't local, check out your local bookstore or follow the link that I provided above to Amazon.  

As I write this blog, it has dawned on me that I haven't taken any pictures of any of the wedge salads I have made over the past two weeks! (Slapping my forehead right now!) But I do have a pic of my lovely Green Goddess Dressing for you to see. 

Wedge Salad with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Balsamic Vinaigrette, serves 4 

1 head of iceberg lettuce, cut into 8 wedges

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

8 grape tomatoes, quartered

1 pack of bacon, cooked and drained and chopped (I use Applegate Natural Reduced Sodium Sunday Bacon.  It is gluten free, and has no added nitrites or chemical preservatives.)

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Divide the wedges of lettuce among 4 plates, sprinkle with remaining ingredients and salad dressing.  Enjoy! 

Wedge Salad with Shrimp, Feta and Green Goddess Dressing, serves 4

1 head of iceberg lettuce, cut into 8 wedges

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 dozen shrimp, peeled and cooked (can be served warm or chilled)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Green Goddess Dressing (recipe below)

Divide the wedges of lettuce among 4 plates, sprinkle with remaining ingredients and salad dressing.  Enjoy! 

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, makes about 3/4 - 1 cup

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard (I use Organicville Brand, Organic Stone Ground Mustard, gluten free)

1 clove of garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

In a mini food processor, blend all ingredients until emulsified.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Green Goddess Dressing, makes about 2 cups

1 cup Mayonnaise (click here for a simple recipe to make your own or use store bought.)

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (I am not a fan of anchovies, but I assure you, it really makes the recipe! I use Giovanni's Anchovy Paste.  If it is not available in your local grocery store, check out specialty food stores like Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table, or click the link to order through Amazon.)

1 scallion, chopped

1 garlic clove

3 tablespoons fresh, flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped 

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (most recipes call for tarragon infused vinegar, but I just use regular white wine vinegar)

In a mini food processor, blend all ingredients until emulsified, about 1 minute.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.