Wilted Lettuce Salad

I planted a couple of squares of leaf lettuce Black Seeded Simpson again this year. When I was a child, my family grew large beds of this lettuce, which was used in salads. The leaves are light green and frilly. It adds a nice color and texture variety to salads. This year with the cooler, rainy weather the lettuces have been growing well.



My favorite use for this leaf lettuce is Wilted Lettuce Salad. It sounds strange but it tastes great. Wash the lettuce and place in a bowl. Cook 2-3 slices of bacon in a non-reactive skillet until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels and crumble. To the bacon fat in the skillet add 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp. water, 1 tsp. sugar or Splenda, salt and pepper to taste. Heat the dressing and then drizzle the hot dressing evenly over the lettuce, tossing to coat. Sprinkle the bacon over the salad and serve immediately. Some add sliced green onions and/or chopped hard boiled egg, but my family never did.