Just because it’s September doesn’t mean I abandon grilling. I grill pretty much rain or shine. And with the onset of fall and cooler weather, that means lettuce season. So why not combine grilling and lettuce? It’s a combination that may seem unusual. But you get a good dose of flavor with very little effort.
If you don’t believe me, ask grilling guru Steven Raichlen.
“Grilling imparts a smoky flavor to crunchy lettuces like romaine,” he writes in his best-selling Barbecue! Bible (Workman Publishing Co., 2008).
“And as you know if you’ve been to the Veneto region in Italy, grilling helps heighten the sweetness and mitigate the bite of the bitter Italian radicchio and treviso.”
I rest my case.
The recipe featured here for grilled romaine hearts comes to us via our friends at Ocean Mist Farms, in California. It’s simple.
You grill the romaine hearts and tomato halves until they develop an even char. Next, chop the romaine hearts and place them on a platter with the grilled tomatoes. Then drizzle the dish with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.
And voilà … you’re done!
Bon appétit,
Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch
