Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 3-4 handfuls chopped romaine lettuce
• 4 small tomatoes, diced in 2" pieces
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 3-4 slices bacon, cooked very crisp then crumbled
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. garlic puree or 1 garlic clove diced very small
• Two grinds fresh ground pepper
• 1 T balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pull the lettuce into bite-size pieces, rinse it well, and dry it in a salad spinner. Divide the lettuce between 2 salad bowls.
2. Chop the tomatoes and dice the avocado. Toss the avocado with the fresh lime juice so it stays bright.
3. In a non-stick frying pan, cook the bacon until it is very crisp. Transfer it to paper towels and blot away the extra fat.
4. Pour off the bacon fat from the frying pan, leaving 2 teaspoons behind. Scatter the crumbled bacon over the lettuce in the salad bowls.
5. Add the olive oil to the pan and warm it for 30 seconds over medium high heat. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
6. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the garlic and black pepper, and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the vinegar, stir so the tomatoes are coated, and take the pan off the heat right away.
7. Spoon the warm tomato mixture over the lettuce, then add the diced avocado on top. Season with salt and additional pepper if you like, and serve immediately.