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I’m not sure if I should be proud or embarrassed at the pure simplicity of this post and indeed, of this salad. But I guess, as it is with my life, I often go from one extreme to the other. Deep fried, doughy Churros one day and a fresh and crisp Greek salad the next. And let me just clarify, I am not trying to give you a recipe for Greek salad. I’m sure you know how to chop up some salad ingredients, add chunks of Feta cheese and olives and if you are anything like me (the person who is asked to bring salads to a braai often), you have made this so many times, you could probably do it in your sleep with your arms tied back.
The reason I am sharing this recipe, or actually just the way I make my Greek salad, is because I’ve been told that my salad is so good, even the men eat it before they touch their meat. I’m always surprised when I hear this as this is probably the easiest thing in the world to make. Made easier by the fact that you can make it hours before you need to serve it, dressing and all. Perhaps, that is why this salad holds so much flavour, it’s allowed to ‘marinate’ in the dressing.
Which brings me to my next point. I don’t add salad leaves to my Greek salad as I’ve been told that in Greece, this is how it is done. One day (hopefully sooner, rather than later) I will have the pleasure to Greece to find out for myself, but for now, I trust my friends and family. A friend who was recently there also said that they use dried flowering Oregano (Origanum) and this is the practice with most of the dishes in the Greek cuisine. Which I’m not surprised about as I myself prefer good quality dried oregano over fresh (in most cases, that is). Something else to remember is that, because this salad is so simple, you have to use the best quality vegetables, Kalamata olives and Feta cheese you can find. Serve this salad as a side at a Braai, as part of a Meze platter or as I often do, in a big bowl for lunch with perhaps a wedge of pita bread to mop up the dressing.
I don’t include exact measurements here as it’s all up the amount of people you are feeding.
English cucumber
ripe tomatoes, cut into large chunks
red onion, sliced as thinly as you can
kalamata olives
feta cheese, cut into chunks
dressing (for a large salad)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1.5 tsp salt
1 tbsp dried oregano
- First, take a fork and scrape it along the length of the cucumber. (I saw Jamie Oliver doing it and just thought it is so fab) This allows the dressing to be slurped up by the cucumber.
- Then slice the cucumber in half length ways and remove the seeds. Slice the cucumber into thick chunks. Place into a large bowl.
- Add all the other salad ingredients to the bowl.
- Combine the dressing ingredients and mix well. Pour over the salad and allow to ‘marinate’ for at least 20 minutes but up to 2 hours.
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Tags: Greece, greek food, Greek salad, Mixed salad, Salad
Post By Alida Ryder
