Cooking in KC: The Big Salad

I am a Seinfeld fan. When Dane and I were dating in college, we spent one fall break together watching every season, every episode. We only took breaks to eat. As a result of binge watching, many of the episodes are a blur, but I do remember the soup nazi, George sleeping under his desk, sidling, and of course, Elaine’s big salad.

Here’s a clip to remind you. “Tomatoes like volleyballs.”

This is how I envision the big salad, and it’s without-a-doubt the best salad I make.

My mom gave me this recipe, and it’s a knock-off of Garozzo’s house salad. If you live in Kansas City, hopefully you've heard of Garozzo’s, and if not, now you have a reason to go experience some real Italian food.

I mentioned in an earlier post ("Daily Bread") that Dane and I eat the big salad for dinner at least once a week. To serve two, I usually cut the recipe in half, but here is the big version.

Salad:

About 10 oz. romaine (get the good organic kind in the big, plastic tub--it's greener, leafier, ergo healthier, and has a longer shelf life)

1 good-sized red onion, sliced

1 big jar (or 2 small jars) of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped up

Two of my favorite things.

Dressing:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tsp. sugar

Whisk together the dressing, and toss it all together! I think the dressing is my favorite part. Or maybe the onions. Or artichokes.

So pretty.

Eat immediately. This salad doesn’t keep, but don’t worry, you won’t have leftovers. If you are taking this salad to a party, keep the romaine, veggies, and dressing separate until you're ready to toss and serve.