Well, to be fair, this salad never called himself Greek. This salad can’t talk.
Though, if he had, he’d have been a real poser. Like a baseball cap-backwards, droopy-pants, rapping white guy. Okay, maybe not that bad, but a poser all the same. And why is my salad counterfeit, you ask? I’ll tell you why—my Greek salad contains NO olives and it full of BASIL! I even almost used ricotta salata instead of feta cheese!!
So, now you have, my salad is really an Italian posing as a Greek. But it’s still pretty damn tasty! I used zinfandel vinegar, which gave a perfectly sweet/acidic twinge, and a good olive oil for balance. It’s great for the end of August, when the days of summer are coming to an end—I like to spend this time cooking very little, enjoying the summer produce as raw and untouched as possible. A nice, ripe peach or nectarine could top off a dinner of this salad and a piece of fish perfectly.
And, even though you don’t really need a recipe for this one, here it is:
Not-so Greek Salad
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp zinfandel vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cucumber, chopped into chunks
- 1 red pepper, chopped into chunks
- 1 green pepper, chopped into chunks
- 1 red onion, sliced very thinly
- 1 small bunch of basil leaves, shredded
- 5 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- Combine first 3 ingredients in small bowl, whisk together.
- Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl. Pour oil mixture over and toss. Salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve with Ouzo if you want a real party.
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August 28, 2007 at 11:42 am
You aren’t alone – pretty sure that if it has feta you can call it a Greek salad anywhere in both America. Plus the label doesn’t make the dish.
August 29, 2007 at 12:20 am
i love the idea of ricotta salata and cuke’s and basil, and bell peppers and red onion – and then maybe a splash of balsamic. it could be the long lost italian cousin of the grrek salad…
August 29, 2007 at 9:54 am
Don’t think of it as posing; think of it as ASPIRING!
August 29, 2007 at 7:55 pm
MMmmmmmm, that sounds soooo scrummy. The photo has my tummy rumbling. :D
September 1, 2007 at 10:34 pm
That looks very good. I love all the colors and flavors. Will need to try this!
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September 2, 2007 at 4:52 pm
YUM! Salads rock! Glad to hear from you!
By the way, I tagged you for a meme over at my blog. Hope that’s ok!
September 6, 2007 at 8:55 am
love yr little salad server where did you get it?
September 6, 2007 at 11:30 am
Thanks for all the wonderful comments!
Sarah– Thanks for tagging me for my first meme!! Will get on it soon!
Kel– Its actually a vintage pyrex dish. Found it on ebay! :D
September 19, 2007 at 12:56 pm
now that’s a REAL greek salad!
October 22, 2009 at 11:10 am
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