SERVES 4, VEG, GF
For years, it has not been politically correct to like iceberg lettuce, a variety supposed to be lacking in nutrients, the vegetable equivalent of white bread. I’ve always loved iceberg for its distinctive crunch, unmatched by any other lettuce. I grow it in my garden and assure you that fresh, garden-grown iceberg is a real treat, full of flavor as well as crunch. Now I grow a new type, red iceberg, that I hope will soon appear in farmers’ markets and, eventually, in supermarkets. It’s beautiful and rich in beneficial phytonutrients. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is to pour a great blue cheese dressing over a chilled, crisp wedge.
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
1 (7-ounce) container or ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon grade B maple syrup
1 large head iceberg lettuce, trimmed and quartered
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1. Place ¼ cup of the blue cheese and all of the other dressing ingredients into a blender, and blend on medium speed until smooth.
2. Transfer the dressing to a bowl and whisk in the remaining blue cheese; refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Dress each lettuce wedge with a few tablespoons of blue cheese dressing and top each portion with onion, tomatoes, and chopped parsley. Store extra dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.