<![CDATA[Pages in my passport - Italian Chopped Salad]]>

Makes 6 meal-sized salad or 12 side portions

Oregano dressing
4 cloves garlic
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (can use dried)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil, ideally extra-virgin

Salad and assembly
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
1 small red onion, peeled and sliced into paper-thin rings
1/2 pound provolone, sliced 1/8-inch thick then cut into 1/4-inch ribbons
1/2 pound salami, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick then cut into 1/4-inch ribbons
4 medium or 8 small pickled pepperoncini, sliced into rings
3/4 pound cherry tomatoes
Sea salt
1 head iceberg lettuce, halved, cored, and cut in 1/2-inch ribbons
1 head radicchio, halved, cored and cut in 1/4-inch ribbons
2 tablespoons dried oregano for garnish (optional)

Make dressing:
Finely chop the garlic and oregano and put into a mixing bowl.
Add the salt and up to 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, lemon juice and vinegar. Mix with a fork allowing the salt to dissolve, then add the oil and whisk with a fork until well combined. The dressing should be thick with garlic and oregano. sset aside.
This is a vevy flavorful dressing and you may need only a little of it on the salad.

Assemble salad:
In a large salad bowl, mix the chickpeas, red onion, provolone, salami, pepperoncini (including seeds and juice). Cut the tomatoes lengthwise and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt. Set aside until ready to serve.

To serve:
When ready to serve, gently add the tomatoes, lettuce and radicchio to the salad bowl and toss to combine with the dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding any reserved dressing if needed. Serve immediately.

If you only use a portion of the salad, just add a bit of dressing to that portion. Save the rest for laster and add dressing when you next eat it.