Spicy Italian Salad

I made this for a special Italian Mothers Day one year, and my mom is now obsessed. She always asks for it. And for good reason. My favorite part of it is the marinated artichokes! This salad is a hearty meal because of all the goodies in it. Also- you feel like you should be sitting with a bunch of old ladies eating triangle cucumber sandwiches or something when you eat this. :) If you want it more meaty and less vegetarian- feel free to add some browned chicken in the marinade.

1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup tarragon vinegar
1 TBSP white sugar
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (dry=1/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
5 cups romaine lettuce- rinsed, dried, and chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 carrot, grated
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup black olives
1/4 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cucumber, sliced
2 TBSP grated Romano cheese
Ground black pepper to taste

In a medium container with a lid, mix the first 6 ingredients. Cover and shake until well blended. Place artichoke hearts into the mixture, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight.

In a large bowl, toss together everything else. Season with pepper. Pour in artichoke and marinaded mixture, then toss to coat.