something borrowed… something bleu

Wedding bells were ringing last week in Midway Utah. After a year of plans and pivots, my baby girl married her perfect match in the midst of the Wasatch Mountains. It was exceptional in each and every way. Most notably that our family and a handful of dear friends, all fully vaccinated, could reunite for this incredibly blessed event. 

It truly was a celebration. Of life. Of love. Of the brightest of futures. And it was party. We toasted, we dined, we embraced, and we danced. Boy did we dance. Under the stars, in that field. 

It truly was something to behold. I really can’t believe it all happened. Then that next week I couldn’t believe how tired I was. A year of adrenaline had come to a halt. While I could have slept for a week. Life carried on. And with that… dinner.

I’ve been craving the red and bleu salad from the Pine Club, Dayton’s iconic steak house. The place is an institution, right up there with Peter Luger’s in New York and Gibsons in Chicago. While famous for its aged prime steaks, I always seemed to order the same thing- their burger platter with onion rings and a red and bleu salad. This humble salad was comprised of chopped iceberg lettuce doused in French dressing, topped with a handful of pre-crumbled blue cheese.

Still feeling very MOB, I decided to up the ante for my house salad. I swapped out the iceberg for hearts of romaine, lightly tossed with a fresh French dressing, then just a smattering of high-quality blue cheese to finish it off.

Start by making a homemade French dressing. It is so easy you will never buy bottled again.

In the jar of a lidded container add one half cup ketchup, one half cup vegetable oil, six tablespoons white wine or distilled vinegar, two tablespoons sugar, one quarter teaspoon onion powder, one half teaspoon dry mustard, dash of cayenne pepper, dash of celery seeds, one half teaspoon kosher salt, and one quarter teaspoon freshly ground pepper.

Secure the lid and shake vigorously until combined. The dressing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a week. 

Just as freshly made dressing brings this salad to new heights, so does high-quality blue cheese. One of my favorites is gorgonzola picante.

For each red and bleu salad chop a handful of crisp heart of romaine leaves. 

Drizzle with one two tablespoons of French dressing and lightly toss. 

Place on a plate and sprinkle with a little crumbled blue cheese. Bite after bite… I relived the memories…

… of this incredibly special day.