Greek Salad with Red Wine Vinagrette and Honey
We went to Greece a few years ago, and while we were there, we got really into assembled salads. It was so hot and sunny, and eating heavy foods was really unappealing. Our host, Theo, introduced us to real Greek Salad, i.e., chunks of tomato, cucumber, onion, olives, and HUGE pieces of feta.
Morning view of Nikiti, Chalkidiki, Greece
I have been making it back at home ever since, with a few alterations and additions. I add lettuce, to make it more nutritious and, and cut down on the amount of feta (or at least the size of the chunks). The key to this salad, what makes it really good, is a light drizzle of honey, which is applied after the salad is dressed and plated. The honey covers a little bit of everything, and really plays well off the vinegar and salty feta.
Recipe:
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch slices
2 or 3 tomatoes, cut into large wedges
1/4 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
handful of black pitted olives
1/2 a block or so of feta cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
spring mix lettuce or romaine
fresh oregano leaves, chopped
Honey
Assemble all ingredients on plates, drizzle with dressing, and then honey to taste.
Dressing:
Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Honey
Honeyed cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and feta
Serve this salad with a good ciabatta or other white, italian style bread, toasted (grilled if possible). Rub the toasted bread with a split clove of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with dried oregano and salt. Makes a really nice warm weather lunch or dinner.
Evening view of Nikiti
