CAESAR SALAD TRIED AND TRUE!

Have you ever had a 'Meyer' Lemon? I would venture that most "foodies" know about them, but many ordinary lovers of food, drink and cooking (like me) may not. My best friend, a big-shot chef, introduced me to Meyers quite a few years ago.

What I didn't know until I Googled 'Meyer Lemons' is that the tree was named after Frank Meyer who brought them to the U.S. from China in the early 1900s. They were banned in the mid-40s due to a virus, then reintroduced around 1970 with a new virus-free version of the tree. 'Meyers' are a favorite for home growers, but because they don't ship well you may not see them in all regions. In areas like S. Texas they're known as 'Valley' Lemons. Hold one to your nose, and you may think you're smelling a bright yellow tangerine. Open it and you'll realize it's a lemon alright, uber sweet and succulent, I prefer them over regular lemons, especially for salads.

So in honor of the "Meyer" here is my tried and true recipe for Caesar Salad. Without exaggeration, I have made a batch of this dressing every week for the last year.

Ingredients: 1 cup extra virgin olive oil - 3 to 4 large garlic cloves, minced - 2 tbls red wine vinegar - 1.2 tsp Worcestershire sauce - 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard - 1 can anchovy (rolled with caper or flat, doesn't matter) - 1.5 lemons (meyer or regular) seeded - 1 large head of romaine lettuce, cleaned and relatively dr - 1.5 cups shredded Parmesan cheese - Corse salt and pepper

Method:

Put the minced garlic in the bottom of a blender or small food processor. Pour in olive oil, vinegar and seeded lemon. Mix on high for a few seconds. Add mustard, Worcestershire, anchovy and mix again for about one minute to be sure the anchovy is liquefied. You can adjust the flavor by adding a dash more vinegar if you prefer. Poor into a carafe and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a large bowl, evenly distribute the cheese with the lettuce. Then pour the dressing over the lettuce and cheese mixture in small amounts until it's covered nicely, but not saturated. PLEASE PARDON THE SPACING IN THIS AND POSTS TO FOLLOW!