About the Recipe
Chef's notes: This is my mom's famous chopped salad that dates back to the 1940's. It was made memorable by replacing the salt and some of the vinegar in the dressing with brine from a jar of green olives. I’ve never seen it anywhere else. Try using the same principle with brines from other kinds of pickles.
Ingredients
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon green olive brine, or more to taste
1 tablespoon plain white vinegar
3 tablespoons salad oil
1/2 to 3/4 head iceberg lettuce, chopped into small pieces
1 large tomato, chopped into 1-inch or small pieces
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut into small dice
6 pitted green olives, chopped
4 ounces Crave Brothers Fresh Mozzarella cheese, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
Preparation
In a cup or small bowl, combine garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, green olive brine, vinegar and oil. Whisk to blend; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green olives, mozzarella cheese, and scallions. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss well.