| The Greek salad is the quintessential Greek lunch | | | | ½ a long cucumber |
| enjoyed sitting in the sun at gingham laid tables | | | | 1 red and 1 green pepper (capsicums) |
| overlooking the turquoise waters of the warm | | | | 1-2 big soft red tomatoes |
| Mediterranean Sea. It evokes the senses: pleasant | | | | A big rectangular slab of Feta Cheese |
| memories of warm sunshine, fresh herbs, tasty | | | | Extra Virgin olive oil |
| tomatoes and cheeky but handsome waiters. | | | | Oregano |
| Greek food is renowned for its simplicity, and the | | | | Salt and Pepper |
| authentic Greek salad is no exception. It is simple to | | | | Lemon juice (if desired) |
| prepare, using simple fresh ingredients. But how can | | | | Some local variations include capers (Santorini), and a |
| you recreate the authentic Greek salad when you | | | | softer, less salty cream cheese instead of feta |
| are back home? It's worth doing, because this simple | | | | (Crete). |
| dish is tasty, healthy, and evokes those memories of | | | | Method |
| vacations by the sea. But it's important to get it right. | | | | This is a salad remember, so it's not complicated. But |
| So let's do it! | | | | here's a few tips. |
| To be as authentic as possible, it is important to try | | | | Take the ingredients (except the feta) out of the |
| and use the freshest, tastiest ingredients just like the | | | | fridge about 1 hour before you make up the salad. |
| Greeks would do. The problem is, many of the | | | | Salad vegetables always taste better when not |
| ingredients we have available are forced-grown, and | | | | fridge cold, especially tomatoes. |
| often inorganically grown. This affects the quality and | | | | Use local, organic produce for the best taste. |
| also the taste. Many restaurant owners in the resorts | | | | Use extra virgin olive oil, again for the taste. |
| in Greece are farmers too (or their cousin Kostas is.) | | | | The Greeks generally peel the cucumber, so why not |
| The ingredients they use would often be picked that | | | | do the same? |
| day from their own farms, organically grown and | | | | Chop the vegetables into fairly decent-sized chunks |
| nurtured by Nature. | | | | and mix gently. Season with salt and pepper, and |
| The best we can do in our home country, is try and | | | | drizzle with plenty of olive oil, and a little lemon juice |
| get fresh local ingredients from local shops who | | | | if you want to. |
| advertise local produce, or genuine farmers' markets | | | | Pop the slab of feta on the top and drizzle with |
| -- or grow our own! However, the one thing we | | | | more oil, then sprinkle with oregano. |
| must accept is that the prime ingredient, Feta | | | | Have a good chunk of granary bread handy, because |
| cheese, must come from Greece itself -- because if | | | | there'll be some lovely olive-oily juice at the bottom |
| it doesn't, it isn't Feta. | | | | when you finish. |
| Ingredients | | | | A soft, light white wine goes well with this authentic |
| ½ red onion | | | | Greek Salad! |