[shel]

Tonight I'm making a more or less traditional Greek salad for dinner. Here's the general recipe:

Shel’s Greek Country Salad

Some very ripe tomatoes, seeded, cut in chunks
English or European cucumber, cut in chunks, skin on
Red onion, sliced thin
Black Greek olives (Kalmata or other)
Greek Feta cheese in small chunks
Greek oregano
Greek EVOO
fresh ground black pepper
sea or Diamond Crystal Kosher salt to taste
Optional peperoncini
Optional red or Gypsy pepper
Optional Garbanzo beans

Put tomatoes & cucumbers in a large bowl, very lightly salt them and toss. Add cheese, olives, onion, oregano, the optional peperoncini, red pepper, garbanzo beans, and toss with black pepper. Add a little olive oil to lightly coat, toss gently ...

If anyone has some other recipes or ideas for a nice Greek salad, please post 'em.

shel

[Koukouvagia]

The word Greek salad leads people to believe that Greeks eat only one kind of salad. This is simply not true. I have very often come across Greek salads at restaurants that are not really served in Greece. They include tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, feta, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, green peppers, oregano, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

Growing up in Greece this type of salad would not be possible to eat - tomatoes are harvested in the warm months, while lettuce is harvested in the cooler fall months. Since most greeks in Greece do not eat produce out of season the above salad is not offered.

Feta cheese is usually never placed in the salad, it usually gets its own serving plate, as do the olives. Pepperoncini? Haven't seen it used in greece.

Here's a typical salad that may be eaten in Greece:
- tomatoes (not seeded!)
- english cucumber
- red onion thinly slivered
- oregano
- extra virgin olive oil
- strong red wine vinegar
- salt
- a shot glass of ice cold water or ice cubes (the water mixes with the juice of the tomato/oil/vinegar and creates a delectable sauce to dip your bread into)

Here's another:
- lettuce chiffonade(romaine, escarole, whatever you like)
- freshly chopped dill
- evoo
- lemon juice
- salt
- olive

The point is that anything can be made into a greek salad as long as the produce is fresh and in season!

[shel]

Thanks for that very interesting and informative post, Mapiva. I was hoping you'd jump in.

Now I know the intent of adding some water to the salad. What a great idea!

My salad wasn't intended to be "traditional," just something reminiscent of what is frequently called a "Greek salad" here. The peperoncini is just something I like sometimes, likewise the garbanzo beans.

I was of the impression that vinegar was not typically used in such salads. I like 'em both ways, but lately I've been trying to get away from the vinegar taste.

Well, thanks again!

scb