Carol made a very pretty and tasty salad which included things she liked (a tangy/garlicky dressing, anchovies, Persian cucumbers) and omitting croutons, which she liked less.  The dressing is adapted from a half recipe of Allrecipes’ “Best Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing.  She used a full can of anchovies, part mashed into the dressing and part sprinkled on top of the salad.  The amount of dressing may be more than you need for 2 servings.

This salad is best if the lettuce is very crisp.  Carol soaked the cut Romaine lettuce in cold water to crisp it up.  Assemble the salad immediately before serving to preserve this crispness.

For the dressing

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

¼ cup mayonnaise

3 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese

2.5 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salad

Very crisp lettuce

Diced onion

Sliced Persian cucumbers

Halved cherry tomatoes

The rest of the can of anchovies

Put all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Check seasoning.  It should not need salt if the rest of the anchovies are also going into the salad.  Refrigerate the dressing until ready to dress the salad.

Toss the lettuce with the dressing.  Compose the salad with the cucumbers lining the bowl, the dressed lettuce in the middle, and the onion, cherry tomatoes, and remaining anchovies on top.