Cobb Salad + Shallot & Sea Salt Focaccia + Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

This week's meal includes a Cobb Salad, Shallot & Sea Salt Focaccia, and Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream.

I love Cobb Salads, and they make a perfect summer dinner. My rendition of Cobb Salad includes cherry tomatoes, a hard-boiled egg, shredded chicken breast, Maytag Blue Cheese, chives, and of course, bacon. All components are served on a bed of assorted local lettuces from Blue Gate Farm. The cherry tomatoes are beautiful and acidic. The hard-boiled eggs are rich and creamy. The chicken is a lean source of protein and very savory. The Maytag Blue Cheese adds a little funk. And last but certainly not least, the bacon is salty, smokey, and delicious. The dressing I use for the salad is a red-wine vinaigrette with shallot, olive oil, and bacon fat. It's the perfect hit of acid with all the creamy and rich salad components.

The Shallot & Sea Salt Focaccia is my favorite focaccia bread topped with thinly sliced shallots and flaked sea salt. It's perfect for soaking up any extra vinaigrette.

The Strawberry Ice Cream is made with local fresh strawberries grown in Altoona, IA. They were picked fresh on Saturday. Fresh strawberries are the secret to this ice cream. It's delicious! 

I hope you enjoy this week's meal as much as I do! I'll be back next week with another vegetarian quiche! It was so popular I decided to make it again. This time it'll be zucchini and ricotta.