03/12/2003

Ingredients:

Buttermilk ranch dressing (recipe follows, or use bottled)
Fried okra croutons (recipe follows)
8 cups torn romaine lettuce leaves
1 ½ cups grape tomatoes (or halved cherry tomatoes)
1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
Red onions, sliced into half moons
Crumbled cotija cheese (optional; may substitute feta cheese)

Directions:

The day before serving, make buttermilk ranch dressing and refrigerate.

Just before serving, make fried okra croutons.

Place lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber in a bowl. Toss with ranch dressing. Divide salad among plates and sprinkle with red onion, fried okra croutons and optional crumbled cheese. Makes 6 servings.

Evans Caglage / DMN

Buttermilk ranch dressing: Combine 2 tablespoons minced red onion, 1 thinly sliced scallion, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1/2 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise. Season with 1 tablespoon minced parsley, 2 teaspoons minced cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Keeps up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Fried okra croutons: Just before serving, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat until oil pops when sprinkled with water. Add 11/2 cups frozen, breaded okra (sold at select Tom Thumb supermarkets and Minyard locations) to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally for several minutes until crispy and golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer okra to a paper-towel-lined cookie sheet. Use immediately, or keep warm in a low oven.

SOURCES: Tina Danze / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News; adapted from A Cowboy in the Kitchen