BLT salad with basil & white pepper vinaigrette

JR is out of town this weekend, on a boys' trip to Bend, Oregon for a century (100 mile) bike ride. He left something in the fridge that I've had my eye on. Something I rarely buy. But really enjoy.

Bacon.

I'm not sure whether I've mentioned this before, but I have a penchant for, let's say, "less than healthy" meat products. Bacon. Bratwurst. Balogne. As a child, I remember sneaking hot dogs from the fridge and eating them plain as a snack (a processed meat version of string cheese?). Since then, I've swung on the meat-eating pendulum from veganism to living in Texas. I had a decent stint as a vegetarian (10 years). Currently, I practice all things in moderation (not always an easy thing, but I try) and generally eat pretty healthfully.

Perhaps it's because I don't have it very often that I get quite excited about bacon.

I had been thinking about this salad - what to put in it, how to dress it - since I discovered the bacon in the fridge. It turned out just as fantastic as I had imagined. Here's what I did:

BLT (+ACE) Salad with Basil & White Pepper Vinaigrette

Serves 2

Vinaigrette:

4 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped

4 Tbsp. olive oil

4 tsp. red wine vinegar

a pinch white pepper

Salad:

2 c. lettuce, chopped

1 cucumber, sliced then quartered

2 tomatoes, sliced into wedges

1 avocado, sliced

2 hard boiled eggs, shelled & sliced

4 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled

Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl.

Toss lettuce and cucumbers with half of the dressing. Divide onto individual serving plates. Top with tomatoes, eggs, avocado, bacon and remaining dressing. Enjoy!