A salad that isn't too salad-y...

I guess I'm getting old, but there is a limit to how many heavy, spicy meals I can eat at night and still manage to fall asleep and avoid the dreaded heartburn attack at 3am. Or maybe it's all the booze I had on New Year's Eve.  In the summer, this problem is easily remedied but just grazing in the garden and composing a plate of fruits and vegetables for dinner, but in the winter, salad supplies are pretty boring at the grocery store, and it's just too cold to eat cold things.  So, I've been experimenting with warm salads, which means the vegetables have been cooked to some extent.  This particular concoction also satisfies those damnable winter cravings for fat, salt, and junk with bacon, the most perfect fatty, salty junk that occurs in nature.  Don't like cabbage?  use any green you can cook, or a combination of greens.  You could also do this with a vegetarian bacon alternative, like Morning Star breakfast strips, smoky seitan, BBQ tempeh...

BLT Salad

Serves 2 as a dinner salad, 4 as a side

1 medium head green cabbage, thinly sliced
6 strips bacon
2-3 medium sized tomatoes (or 5-6 romas)

Dressing:
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup milk (any kind will do)
½ teaspoon dried summer savory
½ teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon dried onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Set the oven at 325°F.  Cut the bacon into small pieces and spread out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet; season with freshly ground black pepper.  Cut the tomatoes into large chunks (or into quarters if you’re using romas), lay out on a separate baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt.  Bake both in the oven until the bacon is very crisp and the tomatoes look roasty, about 30 minutes.  Stir the tomatoes occasionally so they don’t get burned in any spots.  Drain the bacon on paper towel when it’s done.

Meanwhile, steam the cabbage until crisp-tender, 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of slices.  Combine all dressing ingredients together into a small bowl.

To construct, spread steamed cabbage onto a plate, followed by tomatoes, bacon, and drizzled dressing.