Late Summer Cobb Salad with Buttermilk-Thyme Dressing

Start to finish: 25 minutes. Makes four servings.

You are welcome to cook bacon the old fashioned way on the stovetop, or you can bake it in a 350-degree oven on a wire rack inserted into a rimmed baking sheet for about 15 minutes, or until crispy. Baking it is neater, less splattery, less hands-on.

And to make perfect hardboiled eggs, start by placing the eggs in a large saucepan and adding enough cool water to cover by at least 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Allow the water to boil for 30 seconds, then remove the saucepan from the heat and let the eggs sit in the water for 9 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water for a few minutes.

Peeling the eggs while they are still slightly warm often makes it easier to remove the shells in big pieces, so you don’t have to chip them off and mess up the eggs. Tap them lightly on the counter, then give them a quick roll to crackle the shells and peel them carefully. It also often helps to peel the eggs while they are submerged in water.

Ingredients K cup buttermilk, shaken 2 tablespoons sour cream or

plain Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive

oil 1 teaspoon chopped fresh

thyme leaves K teaspoon minced garlic Kosher salt and ground black

pepper 5 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce (or a combination of iceberg and romaine, for more crunch) 8 slices bacon, cooked and

roughly crumbled 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and

diced large 1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved (or 2 cups diced larger tomatoes) 2 cups lightly cooked corn

kernels 2 cups diced zucchini 15K-ounce can chickpeas,

drained and rinsed K cup thinly sliced red onion K cup crumbled feta cheese Ground black pepper Directions

To prepare the dressing, in a small container or jar with a lid, combine the buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, thyme, garlic and a hefty pinch each of salt and pepper. Shake well. Can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Shake before using. To prepare the salad, spread the lettuce evenly over a large serving platter or shallow bowl. On top of the lettuce, make nice neat rows of the crumbled bacon, eggs, tomatoes, corn, zucchini, chickpeas, onion and feta. (The order is of no consequence, whatever strikes you.) Season with pepper, then drizzle with a bit of dressing and serve the rest on the side. Nutrition information per serving: 610 calories; 340 calories from fat (56 percent of total calories); 37 g fat (13 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 220 mg cholesterol; 1160 mg sodium; 46 g carbohydrate; 10 g fiber; 15 g sugar; 26 g protein.