Big Italian Salad with Zesty Homemade Italian Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, (peeled)
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, (best quality such as Pompeian Gourmet)
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, (best quality such as Lucini or Colavita)
• Heaping 3/4 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 large head romaine lettuce, (or 3 hearts, washed, dried and cut into large, bite-sized pieces)
• 1 large red bell pepper, (chopped)
• 1 cup seeded and chopped hothouse cucumbers
• 1 to 2 carrots, (peeled into ribbons)
• Handful grape tomatoes, (halved)
• Handful pitted olives
• Ricotta Salata or Feta, (crumbled to taste)