Cost: $ - Preparation Time: 10 minutes Difficulty Level: 1 -

1. Pull the lettuce leaves from the firm white core of the head of lettuce, and discard any limp, coarse, or discolored leaves. They are unusable.

2. Put the leaves in a colander and rinse under cold water, turning them to rinse them clean of dirt. Shake the colander to eliminate the water, and pat the leaves dry with a paper towel or dish towel. Or dry in a salad spinner. It is important to dry the lettuce well, because salad dressing won't adhere to wet leaves.

3. Wrap lettuce loosely in a towel or paper towels, and place in the refrigerator.

4. Preheat the oven to 350F.

5. Trim the crusts off the bread slices, cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes, and place on a cookie sheet so the pieces are not touching.

6. Put the cookie sheet in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the bread slices are firm and dry and lightly golden.

7. Cut or tear the lettuce leaves into large bite-size pieces, and put them into a large bowl.

8. Shake the jar of dressing* well, and pour about 1/3 cup over the greens. Use your hands to toss the salad, reaching down to the bottom of the bowl and scooping up the lettuce. Repeat this several times, until each piece of lettuce is dressed. If the lettuce does not have enough dressing, add another 1/4 cup and continue to toss until well coated.

9. Refrigerate leftover dressing to use another time. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and croutons over the salad and toss again to distribute.

10. Serve at once.

Dressing Instructions:

1. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Put the garlic into a pint (2-cup) jar with a lid.

2. Add the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, red-wine vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to the jar.

3. Screw on the lid and shake the jar vigorously until all the ingredients are well blended.

4. Keep the dressing refrigerated right in the mixing jar, and shake again just before use.

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