BLT Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
This is the first meal I made in our new (summer) home. Nothing revolutionary, but easy, delicious, and just right for when the temperature climbs to a blistering 70 degrees around here. To celebrate, we went for a dunk in Lake Whatcom, which happens to be right outside our door.
Some other tidbits about our move and our new life in Bellingham:
- There are deer everywhere up here. At first, I was incredulous when my Mom suggested Wyatt pursue them with his slingshot. Then, after noticing they had eaten all my pots down to nothing, I'm reconsidering.
- Wyatt climbed up in the cherry tree while the moving van was idling in the driveway of our Seattle house. I told him he could have a few last minutes up there. He sobbed so loudly he could be heard down the whole block. It was heartbreaking, but I love that he feels things so deeply.
- The Bellingham Farmers Market is indeed amazing. Wyatt got a lavender lemon popsicle and I bought some kale. Of course.
- Our rental (and the fixer we purchased down the hill!) are right on an interurban trail system. We are in heaven, going for lots of bike rides and spending an inordinate amount of time outside.
- In spite of not being unpacked yet, in the last five days I have managed to make basil shortbread, a giant platter of carnitas, rhubarb crisp, and have people over for dinner twice. There's some pent-up cooking energy going on, for sure.
This morning, at the kitchen table, the kids chattering in the living room and Yancey still asleep, my parents' cat meowing at the front door, I feel complete. We have landed, and it is good.
BLT Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
Serves 4. I've given instructions to make one big bowl, but you could plate the salad up individually.
For salad:
1 large head lettuce, washed and torn
1 bunch watercress, washed and stems (mostly) removed
2 c. fresh bread cubes
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lb. bacon, cooked until crispy and coarsely chopped
1 large avocado, cubed
4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced into wedges
handful of crumbled feta
For dressing:
1 medium avocado
juice of one lemon
1/2 bunch cilantro, washed
salt and pepper
one garlic clove
water to thin
To make croutons, heat 2 Tb. of olive oil in a heavy skillet. When oil is hot (but not smoking), add bread cubes, salt, and pepper. Saute until bread is crispy on all sides, but not hard (about 5 minutes). Set aside.
Arrange greens in a large salad bowl. Lightly toss with 1/2 of other ingredients--avocado, feta, bacon, eggs, and croutons. Arrange the rest of ingredients on top of the salad.
To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Thin with water to desired consistency.
Drizzle dressing over salad.
June 30, 2011
Reader Comments (4)
Made your salad with tuscan kale, home cured bacon, friend-made chevre, our own hen's eggs, over very easy..yum yum.
thanks so much and welcome back to Bellingham!
Your story here about Wyatt breaks my heart. What a great kid. Meanwhile, my Bo, who loved climbing the cherry trees in the backyard we moved away from two weeks ago, didn't even look back. I believe she said something like, "Can we go to Rocket Donut when we get to Bellingham?" as we pulled away from our driveway.