Making an exception

I'm a veggie girl. It is probably my favorite food group. I realize that makes me a bit of a freak. But there are very few vegetables I don't like. And when it comes to salads, I welcome it all. Especially the stuff my mom so endearingly refers to as "weeds". Arugula, watercress, frisee...bring it on. There is one lettuce, however, that seems to be the object of my disdain. Iceberg. Ick. The "white" lettuce...all water, no substance or flavor.

But I am here before you to admit today that sometimes when you make exceptions to your own rules, you can find yourself in a very pleasantly surprising situation.

Take this lettuce for instance - something I had so long looked past, I gave a second glance. I came across a mention of a wedge salad with homemade dressing. Probably on a food blog, maybe in a magazine or other recipe website. Can't be certain because I am (gladly) surrounded by all of them constantly. Anyway, the urge to make homemade blue cheese dressing struck and ultimately brought me to this glorious epiphany. When used as a vessel to get homemade buttermilk gorgonzola dressing into my mouth, iceberg lettuce is a very very good thing!

Sara's Creamy Buttermilk Gorgonzola Dressing (& wedge salad)
Serves 2-4 depending on your salad appetite

Ingredients:

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 - 1 tablespoon grated onion (to taste)
1 small clove garlic, grated
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese (or blue cheese)
salt & pepper to taste
1 head iceberg lettuce, halved or quartered
Handful of grape tomatoes, halved

Preparation:

Add the first four ingredients (buttermilk, sour cream, mayo and vinegar) into a mixing bowl.


Next, grate the garlic and onion. I use my microplane. It says 1 small clove of garlic but just grate as much as you can without endangering your fingers.


And make sure to flip it over and get all the yumminess off the back of the microplane.

Repeat with onion. You will end up with this beautiful amalgamation of white on sorta-white.



Next, throw in 2+ ounces of crumbled cheese. I prefer gorgonzola - it is creamier than many blue cheeses and has a consistent flavor. By all means use blue cheese, this is just a preference of my own.



Sprinkle in salt and freshly ground black pepper and whisk everything together.


Last but not least, serve it up (liberally) over a wedge of iceberg lettuce. Flip the entire head over and cut out the core, then half (and maybe quarter) it. The first time we made this recipe I tried to be lady-like and only eat a quarter but this time I was much more honest with myself and ate an entire half. I like to throw in some halved grape tomatoes for some sweetness and contrasting flavor.


Perhaps this discovery will lead to some eye-opening with other foods I've previously turned my nose to. I guess be on the look out for a recipe with beets. Or ham. But probably not ham. Yuck.