Chopped Salad with Rosemary Ham and Preserved Lemon

A Middle Eastern take on the classic Chasen's Cobb salad. I like this as a light main meal, a handy pot luck buffet offering, or to accompany a rich, thick bean soup.

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
 
6 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
 
1 T. olive oil
 
1/4 lb. rosemary ham, sliced thin
 
1 avocado, diced
 
1/2 c. red or other sweet onion, diced
 
1 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained and coarsely chopped
 
1/2 preserved lemon, finely diced
 
1/2 c. black olives, diced
 

For the dressing:
 
2 T lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
 
1 T dijon mustard
 
pinch dried, crumbled rosemary
 
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
 
1/2 tsp. salt
 
Fresh ground black pepper TT
 
1/2 c. olive oil
 

Cut the rosemary ham into strips about 1/4 by 1 inch. In a fry pan over medium high heat, sauté the strips in the tablespoon of olive oil until crisp at the edges, then drain and reserve on a paper towel.
 
Combine the rest of the ingredients (except for the dressing) in a large bowl. To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice and mustard in a small bowl. When well combined, whisk in the salt, pepper and spices, and then slowly whisk in the olive oil until all is emulsified. Add to the salad and toss, along with the reserved ham. Taste the salad for seasoning and add a bit extra of whatever you like. The sooner you serve after tossing, the better.

Notes: This is a lot of dicing! I've seen chefs make this salad by chopping everthing together all at once, but it's more usual to do the ingredients separately. Since it uses romaine, you can stack the washed leaves, slice them lengthwise, and then cut them across into 1/2 inch squares.
 
If you're not that handy with a knife, this would be an ideal dish for a mezzaluna. You could also use a food processor, gently and carefully, on everything but the lettuce, but expect in that case to get shreds rather than nice cubes.