by Jane Rodmell for All The Best Fine Foods, a ‘Certified Good Food Fighter‘
At this time of the year the chefs at All The Best are making twenty plus fresh salads every day-bringing back to our menu all the summer favourites now that the local harvest is getting into full swing. The famers tell us that everything is about two weeks late this year due to a chilly wet spring but now we have all the local fresh baby greens, cucumbers, beets, baby carrots, the first new potatoes, peas, beans …and new crops arriving every day. The fresh tastes are amazing.
Now is the season to make the best Greek Salad-one of the most popular in our repertoire. Take the vegetables at their peak of flavour, use a fine Greek extra virgin olive oil, good firm Kalamata olives and tangy imported Greek feta and seek out citrusy dried imported oregano (the rhigani of Crete and southern Greece) for truly authentic Mediterranean taste. Celebrate the summer with every bite.
Greek Salad
½ English cucumber, peeled
1 green bell pepper, cut into chunky bite-sized pieces
2 ripe tomatoes, cut into chunky bite-sized pieces
½ small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
½ cup (125 ml) kalamata olives, pitted
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp (10 ml) dried oregano leaves, crumbled
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar, or as needed
4 ozs (125 g) feta cheese, broken into small chunks
Slice cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
In a large bowl, combine cucumber, pepper, tomatoes, red onion and olives. Sprinkle with olive oil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of vinegar if salad needs a touch of acidity; it all depends on the flavour of the tomatoes. Fold in chunks of feta. Serve on a bed of fresh crisp greens, if you like.
Serves 4-6
From All The Best Recipes by Jane Rodmell, Robert Rose Inc.
All the best,
Jane
