Well, my co-blogger is finally returning from her vacation around the Greek end of the Mediterranean, whilst I and my fellow New York residents, gently broil here in the Summer sun and humidity.  Her recent travels reminded me that it has been a while since I had made anything Greek for my family to gobble up

Since living in the US, I’ve been amazed to see that in super markets and restaurants, the oddest leafy concoctions dusted with a mysterious powdery ingredient called crumbled Feta and mixed with all sorts of odd things are regularly passed off as a Greek Salad.  These salads are a long way from the original version served on the Olive tree studded Greek Isles, by the azure foam dusted Mediterranean!

Greek Salad is actually an incredibly simple dish to make and tastes simply wonderful on a hot summer day, or evening with its crisp fresh ingredients accompanied by tangy Sheep derived Greek Feta Cheese and a dressing with a fresh slightly acidic bite

The key ingredients ready for chopping and dicing

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb of Greek Feta Cheese (I am using some excellent stuff I purchased at the wonderful Yaranush Mediterranean store in White Plains – a must go for all things Greek in Westchester County)
• 1/2 an English Cucumber
• 4 Tomatoes (I am using some beautiful heirloom tomatoes)
• 1/2 a large Red / Spanish Onion – with a mild flavor
• A dozen or more Kalamata Olives
• 1 tbsp of Wine Vinegar but you can substitute for a flavored one if you like
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Greek is best for this dish)
• Salt and Pepper

All Chopped and Ready to Combine

Method

• Slice the onion finely and break it into onion rings
• Slice the tomatoes thin horizontally
• Peeled and dice the cucumber into 1/4 inch cubes
• Cut the Feta cheese into 1/4 inch cubes
• Mix the oil, vinegar and seasoning in a bowl to form a basic dressing and add the onions. Leave for an hour – this softens the onions and improves the flavor
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix – serve immediately

A salad fit for Olympus!