Bacon Lettuce and Tomato BLT salad

That is Rachel Ray's salad, but mine is a little bit different...

Rachel Ray's recipe includes mustard, which would be fine if you like mustard.  Salads are the sort of thing you should experiment with and there is no perfect right way of doing it.

I combine Romaine lettuce, washed, dried and hand torn.  You want to spin it or pat it dry with a towel so it does not water down the dressing. Plus the tomatoes will a lot of moisture. I add fresh good tomatoes.  Cherry tomatoes are perfectly fine.  Heirloom or ripe backyard tomatoes even better.  If I am using beefsteaks, I make sure they are thin sliced.  You want a lot of tomato for this salad, so the lettuce does not over power it.

I also add chopped or thin sliced sweet onion (red or white are fine).  Radicchio or arugula is a good idea, if you like the contrast of bitter.  Green onions would be good too.  I shred in fennel bulb with the mandolin.  Or you can chop up the green parts of fennel and throw that in.  Or both.  Add some fresh basil too.

The dressing is virgin olive oil and lemon juice (don't let the seeds get in the salad), shook in a jar so it emulsifies a bit.  You want to mix enough to coat the salad, not drench it.  I add some Worcestershire and anchovies too.  That is optional.  You can add some garlic if you want, but with the onions it really is not needed.  I often grade some lemon zest onto the salad  too.  Make sure not to grate in the white pith.  Croutons are optional too (it is really up to you).  If you do add croutons, make your own.  Pepper to taste.  Skip the salt or go lightly with it (because of the bacon to follow).  It is always easy to add salt, but hard to take it out once it is in.

Last but not least, lots of good crispy bacon, crumbled on top.  If you want cheese, add some grated Pecorino Romano or crumbled blue cheese.