My Favorite Salad- Salad de Maison

• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced Or Pressed
• ¾ cups Vegetable Or Canola Oil (may Require Up To 1 Cup)
• ½ pounds Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• ⅔ cups Slivered Almonds
• 2 heads Romaine Lettuce (or 4 Hearts), Torn Or Cut Into Bite-sized Strips
• ½ Tablespoons Grease From Cooking Bacon
• 2 cups Cherry, Grape, Or Pear Tomatoes, Halved
• 1 cup Grated Swiss Cheese
• ⅓ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 bag Caesar Croutons

Dressing must be made and allowed to sit/chill 3 hours in advance.

DRESSING:

Using a either a stand or a hand blender, combine fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic and mix well. While still blending, slowly add vegetable oil. Continue blending until emulsified and thickened. If the lemon was extra juicy, it may take additional oil to completely emulsify and thicken as it should. When finished, transfer to a glass jar or container and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours.

SALAD:

In a skillet, cook bacon (may be pre-cut into small strips or pieces). Drain and cool on paper towels. Return skillet to heat, leaving 1/2 Tbsp. of the bacon fat in the bottom. Toss almonds into the skillet and cook over medium heat until they reach a nice golden brown. When done, drain and cool almonds on paper towels.

While bacon and almonds are cooling, prepare the remainder of the salad. Place ingredients in a large bowl in the following order:

romaine lettuce
tomatoes
Swiss cheese
parmesan cheese

Once cooled, add bacon. Cover and refrigerate salad until ready to serve. Top with browned almonds and croutons. Toss with lemon-garlic dressing.