My inspiration for this post came from my dear, longtime blogging friend, Debbie @ Musings by an ND Domer's Mom, who is not only a gifted...
With the extreme hot and humid summer weather that currently weighs heavily upon us here in the Northeast, all I have the desire to consume lately are foods that are watery, cool, and refreshing.
Therefore, I've been craving and eating A LOT of salads.
Now before I share this to die for recipe, allow me to give you a little backstory on my favorite cuisine...
My Food History:
I pretty much eat a Mediterranean diet. Things like: whole grain pasta and breads, couscous, hummus, tabouli, feta and Asiago cheese, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, herbs, olive oil, and red wine. I eat very little meat. And that's not something I consciously do because I think it's healthy, rather it is a diet I'm just organically drawn to and enjoy. The look and flavor of Mediterranean cuisine is heavenly to me because it literally feels as if it's connected to my soul.
However, the only thing I don't eat that is considered part of a Mediterranean diet is fish or seafood. And that's ironic because I was raised in a family that LOVED it. Traditionally Catholic and Italian, we had seafood every Friday night for dinner and every Christmas Eve (Feast of Seven Fishes). I did try seafood a few times when I was a kid, but did not like it at all. Eventually, I simply refused to eat it. So, whenever my mother would serve fish or seafood, she would make me some sort of pasta dish with a salad. In my youth, that was the only thing I was adamant about when it came to eating - NO FISH OR SEAFOOD OF ANY KIND.
I don't know why (perhaps it has something to do with a bad experience I had with fish/seafood in one of my past lives in Greece - ha!), but fish and seafood are so unappealing to me.
In fact, that was the one and only thing that was an adjustment while living in Japan for two months. The Japanese are HUGE fish and seafood eaters (and much of it raw). But I was able to find other things to eat - vegetable tempura, noodles, rice, miso soup with soy, and occasionally the most scrumptiously tender and sweet-tasting Kobe beef.
Lately, I've been surfing the Web in search of different salad recipes so that I can change things up a bit this summer. And lucky for me, I happened to find a fabulous foodie blog (Five Heart Home) with some of the most easy-to-make and yummy-looking recipes. Which by the way, is where I found this recipe: Tomato Cucumber Salad with Olives and Feta
Ingredients:
Dill & Garlic Dressing:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
*please note: I've also made this salad simply using fresh garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar as the dressing, and it tasted fabulous as well.
Salad:
1 pound tomatoes (cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half, or about 3 large tomatoes, seeded & chopped)
1 pound cucumbers (approximately 2 large or 4 small), diced
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, drained, pitted, & chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh dill, for garnish
For the dressing:
In a medium bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until thoroughly blended. Alternatively, you may place ingredients in a jar, tighten the lid, and shake until incorporated.
For the salad:
In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients. Toss with dressing until everything is evenly coated.
Cover salad and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, removing from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving. Drain off any excess dressing and garnish with dill, if desired.
Hope you enjoy!
X
P.S. This salad tastes incredible with some artisan bread and a glass of red wine!
Two Other To Die For Recipes:
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