Greek Salad

The first time I had a Greek salad in Greece I was surprised to find it had no lettuce of any kind and instead of having crumbled feta cheese it was topped with a brick of feta. It was very simple, very delicious, and very filling- almost a meal in itself! To make it like the Greeks do skip the lettuce, add a brick of feta, and simply drizzle the vegetables in some extra virgin olive oil, Greek if you can find it.

2 ripe, good quality tomatoes, quartered
half a cucumber, sliced into thick half-moons
1 small green bell pepper, diced large
1/2 red onion, thick sliced rings
kalamata olives
salt
1 block of feta cheese
extra virgin oilive oil
fresh cracked black pepper
oregano

Instructions:

Arrange the vegetables in a shallow serving bowl and salt. Top the salad with a block of feta cheese. Let the salad sit at room temperature about 20 minutes before you serve it, letting the flavors develop. Just before serving drizzle the salad with extra virgin olive oil and season with fresh cracked pepper and oregano.

Yield: Serves 2-3

Grilled Eggplant, Tomato & Arugula Salad

I never had arugula before I moved to Ireland. Here it is called "rocket." Not only is it popular in salads here but they also add it to many other things such as sandwiches and pizza. It is said to have a peppery taste but I think the flavor is better described as nutty. I am so glad I stumbled over it as it has become my favorite green of all to eat. Here is my copycat recipe of a salad I eat over here at one of my favorite local restaurants.

1 eggplant, sliced
3 ripe, good quality tomatoes, sliced
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
1 small sized bag of arugula
1 small sized bag of baby mixed leaf salad blend
1 block of feta cheese, cubed or 1 fresh ball of mozzarella, shredded
balsamic vinaigrette
toasted pine nuts

Instructions:

Marinate sliced eggplant and tomatoes in olive oil and balsamic vinegar for about 30 minutes, using a 2 to 1 ratio of the oil to the vinegar. Light grill and warm it up to a medium heat. Lay each slice of eggplant and tomato directly on the grate, grilling a few minutes on each side until soft and golden. In a large shallow bowl or on a a platter, toss the arugula and baby leaf in balsamic vinaigrette. Top with the grilled eggplant, tomatoes, feta or mozzarella cheese, and pine nuts.

Yield: Serves 4.

Variation: Try grilling other vegetables for this salad like zucchini and bell peppers.