Happy Caesar Salad Day (and 4th of July)

July 4th is National Caesar Salad Day. This day will probably get lost in the shuffle as most people will be celebrating America’s independence by throwing everything imaginable on the grill.

Since you already have the BBQ fired up for the 4th of July, reserve a little space on the grill to make a “Grilled Caesar Salad”. Place whole heads of romaine lettuce in a medium hot area of the grill so you get a nice char, then toss with the caesar dressing and croûtons. You can also grill slices of bread and then tear them into pieces to make croutons with a smoky flavor. For a complete meal, add grilled chicken for a chicken caesar salad or barbecue tri-tip for a steak caesar salad.

If you want to celebrate National Caesar Salad Day with a bang, put a twist on the traditional Caesar salad ingredients and substitute with these alternatives:

• For the lettuce- Try green romaine, red romaine, speckled romaine, little gems, or iceberg.
• For the croûtons– Try using crackers, savory tuile, savory scone, or a parmesan crisp.
• For the dressing- Instead of the garlic, try green garlic, black garlic, roasted garlic, garlic confit, or garlic scrapes. Instead of the anchovies try bonito flakes, bottarga, shrimp paste, tomalley, or fish sauce.