1905 Salad

 Despite the fact that I briefly lived in and went to university in Florida, until recently I had never heard of The Columbia Restaurant. Opened in 1905, it is one of the longest running restaurants in the state and the birthplace of the 1905 Salad. You may have seen this recipe going around the web recently, as have I. Lover of salads that I am, I naturally had to try it. Interestingly enough, the salad was not created until the 1940s when waiter, Tony Noriega, created it one night from random leftovers in the fridge. Who among us hasn’t done that?!

Personally, I am a fan of the crunchiness of iceberg lettuce. I think the addition of this to a salad gives it such life. It’s not the most flavorful of lettuces, however, hence the need for other ingredients and a very flavorful dressing. The dressing, I thought, had too much oregano, so I cut that with a teaspoon of sugar. In my opinion, that makes it perfect.

1905 Salad

Slightly adapted from The Columbia Restaurant

 For the Dressing:

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

½ c. extra virgin Spanish olive oil

1/8 c. (2 T.) white wine vinegar

2 t. fresh lemon juice

1 t. sugar

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 For the Salad:

½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded

2 ripe tomatoes, sliced into wedges

½ c. Swiss cheese, sliced into matchstick strips

½ c. baked ham (or shrimp or turkey), sliced into matchstick strips

¼ c. green Spanish olives, pitted

2 t. freshly grated Romano cheese

 In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, dried oregano, and Worcestershire sauce. Gradually beat in the olive oil to form an emulsion. Mix in the vinegar and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

 In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, tomatoes, Swiss cheese, ham, and olives.

 Pour the dressing into the salad and toss well to coat. Sprinkle the Romano cheese and toss again. Serve and enjoy!

 

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.