Marinated Tomato Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese Dressing

This is a beautiful and very satisfying end of summer salad when the tomatoes are ripe.  Marinating the tomatoes for a few minutes in red wine vinegar and olive oil brings out their amazing flavor.  The Butter Crunch lettuce is so tender and delicious and the tomatoes, red onions and black olives are perfect with the crunchy warm bacon and blue cheese dressing. Serve it with some grilled salmon or lake trout and a loaf of good French bread.

Ingredients:

3 ripe tomatoes cut into slices
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup good extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely crumbled Maytag blue cheese
1 tablespoon buttermilk or cream to thin dressing if needed
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 large head of Butter Crunch lettuce washed and broken into 4 parts
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
¼ cup pitted black Kalamata olives
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Marinated tomatoes:  Mix the ¼ cup red wine vinegar and the olive oil together in a bowl together with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Slice the tomatoes and marinate them in the red wine and olive oil dressing. Set aside while you make the blue cheese dressing.

Blue Cheese Dressing:  Mix mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add blue cheese and stir until well blended. If too thick, thin with buttermilk or cream by tablespoonfuls to desired consistency.

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until golden brown and beginning to crisp. Break the head of lettuce into four parts and arrange on plates. Arrange the marinated tomatoes on the lettuce. Arrange the thinly sliced red onions on top of the tomatoes. Spoon blue cheese dressing over all. Use a slotted spoon to transfer warm bacon from skillet onto the salads, dividing equally. Garnish with thinly the pitted black olives and a little more crumbled blue cheese on the top.  If you like a little heat, a few crushed red pepper flakes on top is a nice addition.