Garden to Table – Wilted Lettuce Salad

     Hurrah! We actually have a productive garden this year! We’ve had a garden forever . . . except in the last few years Barry was determined to have a raised bed garden. Despite those repeated attempts, he grew more weeds than produce.

     This year he planted a “real” garden and it looks great. So excited to again have our own fresh veggies.

     Admittedly, the lettuce is still small but doesn’t that liken it to gourmet greens? For years wilted lettuce greens helped define summer so I called Mom to clarify how she makes this delicious salad.

    The sweet and sour dressing not only smells fantastic as it simmers on the

stovetop, it creates a wonderful flavor combo with the garden-fresh lettuce. Yum!  

       Summer may not officially start until June 20th this year, but with access to all this fresh garden produce, I’m declaring that summer has officially begun at the West “farm.”

How does Barry's garden grow? Very well this year!

Mom’s Wilted Lettuce . . . with a few additions of my own (amounts are approximately and can be changed to fit specific tastes)

Ingredients	2 servings	6 servings
Bacon	1½ to 2 slices	5 slices
Vinegar – cider, white or red wine	1 tablespoon	4 tbsp. or ¼ cup
Dijon mustard (my addition)	1-2 teaspoons	1-2 tablespoons
Granulated sugar	¼ to ½ teaspoon	1-2 teaspoons
Salt (we use Kosher)	As needed	As needed
Lettuce – Mom uses leafy green lettuce / I used a combo of butter lettuce & spinach – washed, dried & cut into bite-size pieces if needed	2 very large handfuls (it really wilts and diminishes in amount)	6 very large handfuls
Green (spring) onions	2 w/ tops, thinly sliced	2 w/ tops, thinly sliced
Hard-Cooked Egg(s)	One (1)	Three (3)

Since we had them, I also added sliced garden radishes.

1.     Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove from skillet, crumble and set aside.

2.     To the hot bacon drippings, add the vinegar, sugar and pepper. Stir over medium heat until hot. Taste and added salt if needed.

Dressing is ready.

3.     In a large bowl, combine the lettuce and green onions.

4.     Add the warm dressing and toss to evenly coat.

5.     Sprinkle with bacon and sliced hard-cooked eggs (and sliced radishes, if desired); serve immediately.