Italian Summer Stack Salad

This is one of my favorite salads…the lemon-garlic dressing is a family favorite, and one that my aunt, Joann taught me to make years ago. The presentation of this salad delivers a huge WOW…factor at any dinner party, however the salad is just as wonderful tossed and served family style. Stacks offer a wonderful way to get creative with flavors and ingredients. Any of the ingredients may be substituted, just remember to start with the heavier ingredients at the bottom.

Using square or round molds stack each salad atop individual plates by layering 1/4 cup of each ingredient. Start with the avocado, followed by tomatoes, beans, romaine, bacon and blue cheese. Salads can be pre-made to this point and refrigerated. Always start with the heavier ingredients at the bottom.

Five to Ten minutes before serving remove salads from the refrigerator, using a flat surface such as a glass smaller than the mold or a piece of cardboard cut slightly smaller than the mold and covered in aluminum foil to push the salad down and through the mold gently, while lifting the mold up. Drizzle the stack and plate with the dressing and top with micro greens and serve.

Italian Summer Stack Salad

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The presentation of this salad delivers a huge WOW…factor at any dinner party, however the salad is just as wonderful tossed and served family style.

• Yield: 8 individual stacks 1x

Ingredients

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Lemon-Garlic Dressing

• 1 clove of garlic, chopped and mashed with salt
• 1/2 large lemon, squeezed
• 1/3 cup of light extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt, to taste

Stacks

• 2 Cups Avocado, cubed and lightly mashed
• 2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
• 2 Cups Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Cups Romaine Lettuce, Julienned (cut into strips)
• 2 Cups Apple-Wood Smoked Bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 2 Cups Mild Blue Cheese, crumbled
• 2 Cups Micro Greens

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Instructions

Lemon-Garlic Dressing

1. Peel and crush the clove of garlic
2. Mash the clove of garlic with a generous pinch of salt in a mortar to create a paste.,
3. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and whisk with a fork. The entire mixture may also be transferred to a lidded jar allowing you to shake well to incorporate and set aside.

Stack

1. Using square or round molds stack each salad atop individual plates by layering 1/4 cup of each ingredient. Start with the avocado, followed by tomatoes, beans, romaine, bacon and blue cheese. Salads can be pre-made to this point and refrigerated. Always start with the heavier ingredients at the bottom.
2. Five to Ten minutes before serving remove salads from the refrigerator, using a flat surface such as a glass smaller than the mold or a piece of cardboard cut slightly smaller than the mold and covered in aluminum foil to push the salad down and through the mold gently, while lifting the mold up.
3. Drizzle the stack and plate with the dressing and top with micro greens and serve.

Notes

Check out some of these great Food Molds

If you are unable to get molds, you can also use PVC pipe connectors (shorter sections), available at your local hardware store. You will need a flat surface to gently push the salads through the molds. Simply cut a piece of cardboard slightly smaller than the mold and cover with aluminum foil.