Jackson Salad

(from Yours Truly)

This recipe hails from my hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. I discovered it in a delightful cookbook, Creating a Stir in the Bluegrass and Beyond, making my own version of it over the years. Everyone who partakes becomes a fan. My friend Dor and I get to where we crave it. Often.

I like serving it on a big, oval platter because it looks so pretty. The mixture for the top of the lettuce can be made ahead and is delicious by itself as a snack. An odd snack at that, but who ever said what constitutes a snack?

Ingredients:
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and finely diced
1 14-ounce can hearts of palm, drained and finely diced
¼ cup finely chopped green onions (You know by now I skip onions.)
1/2-3/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon (You may want to add more once it’s assembled)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 ounce of fresh lemon juice
3 ounces of vegetable oil
4 ounces of crumbled blue cheese (I double this because we love blue cheese in this house.)
1 bunch, each, of red leaf and green leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
Cherry tomatoes for garnish

Directions:

• Combine the finely diced artichokes, hearts of palm, green onions, parsley, bacon, garlic, lemon juice, oil, blue cheese, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, stirring well. Cover and chill until ready to serve. (This is what I said makes a fun treat to nibble on.)

• Spread out the lettuce on a platter. Get bowl of ingredients that’s been marinating out and pour on top of the lettuce, spreading it out from the center to within an inch or two of the edge.

• Garnish with cherry tomatoes around the edge.

• This makes 6-8 large servings.