By I drove to Grinnell Saturday. Roger was in the garden — the garden that is his whole world now, the 83-year-old man who tends six tomato plants and twelve sunflowers with the same care he once gave four hundred acres. He's slower but he's still Roger. He still watches the crop reports. He still calls Jack on Wednesdays.
I made sweet corn on the cob this week — the summer version, the one that fills the kitchen with the smell that means this time of year, this stage of life, this specific Tuesday when the stove is warm and the family is fed and the feeding is the point. Kevin ate seconds. The man always eats seconds. The eating is the approval and the approval is the marriage.
Canning approaches. August. The ritual that marks the turn from growing to preserving, from garden to pantry, from the sun to the jar. The pressure canner — Marlene's mother's, weight jiggly, gauge lying, handle replaced twice — waiting in the closet like a veteran reporting for duty. The heirloom equipment for the heirloom work.
With the canner waiting in the closet and August just around the corner, I didn’t want to spend another hour at the stove — but I still wanted to put something real on the table. This Tossed Pepperoni Pizza Salad is exactly what I reach for when the summer is working me hard and the kitchen is already warm: it’s hearty enough to satisfy a man who eats seconds, and quick enough that I wasn’t sweating over it on a night I needed to rest. Dad would probably tease me for calling a salad a meal, but Kevin cleaned his bowl.
Tossed Pepperoni Pizza Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 4 oz sliced pepperoni, halved
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup sliced banana peppers
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup Italian dressing (plus more to taste)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Croutons for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Build the base. Add the chopped romaine to a large salad bowl. Make sure it’s dry — wet lettuce will dilute the dressing.
- Add the toppings. Layer on the pepperoni, cherry tomatoes, olives, banana peppers, green bell pepper, and red onion evenly over the lettuce.
- Add the cheese. Scatter the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan over the top.
- Season and dress. Sprinkle the oregano and garlic powder over the salad, then drizzle with Italian dressing. Toss gently until everything is well coated.
- Finish and serve. Top with croutons if using and serve immediately. Pass extra dressing at the table for anyone who wants more.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 280 | Protein: 13g | Fat: 21g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 720mg