The return of the iceberg wedge salad to restaurant menus is a trend I embrace, especially when that cold wedge of lettuce is drizzled with flavorful blue cheese dressing. Here, the dressing is a cross between classic blue cheese and ranch.

When I prepare this recipe, the mayonnaise in the dressing is usually Hellman’s, and the crumbled blue cheese is usually from Clemson University. The blue cheese made at the university is delicious, but Maytag or any other American blue cheese will do.

This salad is always best when the lettuce is very cold, and to increase the crisp, cool pleasure I usually freeze my salad plates for this special salad. Diced ripe tomato adds color to the plate, and crumbled bacon adds a salty crunch.

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• 1 large head iceberg lettuce, cored, bruised outer leaves discarded and cut into 6 wedges
• 1 large ripe tomato, cored and diced
• 6 strips of bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar and garlic powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.   Pulse several times. Pour into a bowl, fold in the blue cheese and season with the salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate.   Place lettuce wedges on chilled salad plates and drizzle with the dressing.   Sprinkle with the tomato and bacon. 

Makes 6 servings, with some additional dressing.