Lourdes Castro is open-minded about salads, with one caveat.
“My only requirement of a salad is that it be refreshing,” Castro, author of the recent cookbook, “Latin Grilling,” said in an email interview. “It can be hearty or light, but there needs to be a nice balance of acidity to brighten it up. I truly love all types of salads and they don’t really need to include greens, although I prefer that they do.”
And Castro doesn’t hesitate to embrace an often loathed salad ingredient – at least among culinary trendsetters.
“This may be a bit controversial, but I love a crisp wedge of iceberg. Specifically the one served at Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach drizzled with their house vinaigrette,” she said.
“The dressing is tangy, salty and sweet all at the same time and matches perfectly well with the lettuce,” she said. “You can have them chop up the wedge for you, but I prefer to have the large wedge make an appearance in front of me. Crunchy and refreshing, it’s truly the perfect way to whet your appetite!”
For AP’s 20 Salads of Summer series, Castro offered a similarly crunchy salad – with a bit of char. This simple salad of grilled romaine lettuce is as beautiful as it is delicious.
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Grilled Salad
Citrus fruits have natural sugars that caramelize when heated, intensifying the bright flavours of the fruit. You can prepare the tomato packets a few hours before you plan on grilling them. The rest of this recipe should be prepared immediately before serving.
Start to finish: 30 minutes
500 ml (2 cups or 1 pint) cherry or grape tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 lime, halved
3 hearts of romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise
Heat a covered grill on high.
Cut 2 sections of foil about 35 cm (14 inches) in length. Place half of the tomatoes in the centre of each piece of foil, then drizzle each with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Seal packets by bringing long sides of foil up toward centre and folding edges over a couple of times. Bring ends up toward centre and crimp foil shut.
Reduce grill to medium-high, then place tomato packets on grill. Place lemon and lime halves, cut side down, on grill. Close lid and cook for 5 minutes.
Drizzle olive oil over cut sides of romaine hearts, then season with salt and pepper. Open grill lid and use a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel held with a pair of tongs to coat grill grates. Place romaine halves, cut side down, on the grill. Cook with lid open for about 3 minutes or until the lettuce develops grill marks.
Remove tomato packets from grill and open carefully (they will release steam). Place romaine hearts on a platter and pour tomatoes over them. Squeeze lemon and lime halves over everything and serve immediately.
Makes 10 servings.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 45 calories; 38 calories from fat (84 per cent of total calories); 4 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 0 g fibre; 194 mg sodium.
Source: Recipe adapted from “Latin Grilling: Recipes to Share, from Argentine Asado to Yucatecan Barbecue and More” by Lourdes Castro (Ten Speed Press, 2011).
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