Green Salad with Bacon & Tomato Vinaigrette

Bacon and tomato is such a classic combination, so I created a salad dressing which incorporates both flavours.  Served, of course, on a salad containing bacon and tomatoes.     

Salad

2-142g packages baby arugula with spinach

½ lb bacon, diced and cooked until crisp (reserve 2 T fat for dressing)

½ lb vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

½ c croutons

Dressing

½ c diced vine-ripened tomatoes

2 T white vinegar

2 T clear bacon fat

1 t Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ t salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook bacon and drain on paper towels.  Set aside.

Prepare dressing by combining all ingredients in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.  Chill until ready to use.

When ready to serve, assemble salad ingredients in large salad bowl, add dressing, and toss until distributed.  Serve immediately.

The Variable Tomato Salad (and my plastic wrap fetish)

This is one of my favourite standbys. At it's core, it's a simple tomato salad. The green onions, bell pepper and cucumbers are optional; the basil is not. I typically make this during summer when everything is in season, but I'm not adverse to making this in bleakest winter with excellent vine-ripened tomatoes.

The proportions aren't important in this recipe; suit your taste.

Tomatoes, cut in eights (sixteenths if they're huge summer beefsteaks)
Fresh basil leaves (torn, not cut)
Sliced green onions
Sliced bell pepper
Diced cucumber
Olive oil & red wine vinegar (2:1 ratio)
Finely minced garlic
Salt & pepper to taste

Put the tomatoes, basil, and vegetables of your choice into a bowl. Combine the oil, vinegar, garlic and salt & pepper in a separate bowl, mix, and pour over tomatoes. Toss well and serve, or cover and refrigerate for a few hours (making sure to take the salad out of the fridge half an hour before you eat).

I have something to confess.  It is humanly impossible for me not to stretch plastic wrap over a bowl until it is absolutely wrinkle-free and almost invisible (as per photo above).  I have been known to spend upwards of a minute trying to get it absolutely perfect.  My efforts have garnered strange looks from friends and family, particularly my brother.  I don't know where this fetish came from, or when it reared it's head.  I've tried to quit it, but I'm hopelessly hooked.  Just wanted you to know.