Wedge Salad

What could be simpler and more cost effective than a wedge salad?  It's amazing that you can pay from $6 upwards to $8 for lettuce that costs about $1.25 a head.  I decided to make my own this week as the weather is getting rather hot. Certainly you can add to the cost with Crispy Shallots, Fragrant Toasted Nuts, and Crumbled Bacon but I used what I had plus my entree already called for shallots.
When ready to prep, whack the stem of the lettuce on the counter to break it away from the head and discard.  Remove any outside leaves that are either dirty or torn.  Rinse under cold water from where the stem was.  Empty the water and shake to remove excess water.   Place on a towel lined plate, stem hole down, and place in very cold refrigerator so it can drain.  This will ensure the lettuce is extra cold but not frozen.  (NOTE: one head will make 4 salads.)  I have mentioned before we have a man-frig, stocked with beverages, and it is on its coldest setting so I placed the lettuce in there for about 6 hours.  Also, chill the plates you plan to use for serving.
Dice Tomato removing the seeds first.  I actually cut grape tomatoes into 8ths and the seeds were so small, I didn't bother deseeding.  If I were using Roma's, I would've removed all the seeds and only diced the outer meat.  Finely chop Black Olives.  Crumble good quality Blue Cheese, I used Gorgonzola.  
Using a serrated knife, cut lettuce into 4 wedges.  Place on chilled plates so you can see all of the layers of the leaves of the 2 sides.  Top with good quality Blue Cheese Dressing, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Diced Tomatoes and Diced Black Olives.  Serve at one.