Three-Lettuce Salad (Recipe)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil or salad oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups torn romaine lettuce

2 cups torn leaf lettuce

2 cups torn butter lettuce

1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup seedless red grapes, halved

Red onion, thinly sliced and rings separated

1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds

Steps

1. In a screwtop jar, combine the olive oil or salad oil, vinegar, garlic and salt.  Cover and shake until well blended.  Chill until serving time.

2. In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, leaf and butter lettuce.  Add the mandarin oranges, grapes and as much red onion as you like.

3. To serve: Pour the dressing on top of the salad; toss to coat.  Sprinkle with almonds.

Tips:

When you're in a hurry, substitute your favorite bottled Italian salad dressing for the homemade dressing used here.

There are several ways to mince garlic: you can use a knife to cut it into tiny pieces, use a garlic press or crush the peeled garlic with the side of a French knife.

You can add some meat, poultry or fish to this recipe to make it a main dish.  Smoked turkey would be especially delicious.

Try another oil in a place of the olive oil for a subtle change of the flavor.  Consider using almond oil or walnut oil, and sprinkling the corresponding nuts on top.

For a change of pace, substitute toasted walnuts, pecans, pine nuts or cashews for the almonds.

From : America's Best-Loved Community Recipes