Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready for use. For the croutons: Cut the baguette on an angle to create thin, oval slices about 1/4- inch thick. On a large baking sheet, arrange the slices evenly. Brush the bread with olive oil and top with the Parmesan and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Egg Sandwich on this page.
Bake until the Parmesan is melted and the croutons are golden brown around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container if not using immediately. For the salad: Core the romaine and trim the top 1/2 inch off the leaves. Fan the leaves out on a serving plate (or chop into 1/2- inch pieces if you prefer).
Sprinkle the Parmesan over the lettuce and drizzle the dressing on top. Top with 2 to 3 croutons per plate and serve.
This dressing is made in the blender and has lots of great taste sensations - garlic, ginger, minced celery, ketchup, soy sauce, lemon juice, vinegar and oil. Mince garlic and herbs, grate the cheese, grind the black pepper and whisk ingredients for dressing together (or process in a blender/food processor until smooth).