by Libbie Summers
Photography by Chia Chong for Savannah Magazine
Hosted at Grove Point Plantation
Assisted by David Dempsey, Candace Brower, Anthony Lunnsman

I could just eat a bowl of the croutons with dressing, but adding greens makes me feel better about myself. My go to summer salad.

Wild Arugula Salad with Garlic Croutons, Shaved Parmesan, and Caramelized Lemon
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 large piece of ciabatta with crust
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
Flake sea salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
1 lemon
6 ounces arugula (preferably wild, about 10 cups packed)
3 ounces aged Parmesan cheese, shaved into strips with vegetable peeler

Make Croutons:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Rub crust of bread with garlic clove and tear bread into medium-sized chunks. Place bread on baking sheet and toss with 1/4 cup olive oil and a heavy sprinkle of salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and bake until golden and crisp (about 10 minutes). Cool and set aside.

Caramelize Lemon:
Cut lemon in half and place flesh side down in a skillet over high heat. Cook until caramelized on the bottom.

Make Salad:
In a large mixing bowl, add arugula. Toss with juice from lemon and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 of the croutons and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese and toss.

To Serve:
Transfer the salad to individual bowls or a serving bowl and add remaining Parmesan cheese and croutons over top.