Dustin Christofolo’s Grilled Romaine Salad

Dustin Christofolo opened his own restaurant, The House at Secret Garden, with the help of his mom, Pat. Today, he shows off his talent in true Italian simplicity: Grilled Romaine Salad with a Lemon-Herb Dressing.

Grilled Romaine Salad with a Lemon-Herb Dressing
Serves 4

What you’ll need:
Salad
4 heads of romaine lettuce, each head cut in half
½ medium red onion, diced
½ cup red wine vinegar (enough to cover the onions)
Black Mesa Ranch Feta Cheese
4 Tbsp Parsley, minced

(Click through for the dressing ingredients and how you’ll put it all together…)

Lemon-Herb Dressing Yield: 1 cup
¾ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/8 cupFresh lemon juice
1/8 cup Fresh lime juice
2-½ Tbsp fresh herbs including sage, parsley and rosemary, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper, to taste

Bread
4 Large slices of Ciabatta bread, cut into 2 pieces per person
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

What you’ll do:
– Dry the Romaine lettuce well. Flash grill for a few minutes.
– Marinate the red onions in the red wine vinegar for 15 minutes.
– In a bowl, mix all of the dressing ingredients together, except for the Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
– Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well blended.
– Brush slices of bread with olive oil and grill until grill marks appear.
– Place the lettuce on a large plate. Remove onions from vinegar and place on top of lettuce. – Drizzle lemon-herb dressing over lettuce. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Garnish with minced parsley.
– Serve salad with grilled slices of bread.

Check out parts one and two of our Chef Chat with Dustin and Pat Christofolo for more about their obsession with Italy and Quiessence as well as their homemade school lunches and current favorite sandwiches.