When I was a youngster, growing up in Unionville, Ontario, my mom and dad taught me how to make this recipe I think mainly so they could invite friends over, sit on the deck with a California Cooler or two (yes, it was the 80s) while the kids cooked in the kitchen. Oh the 80’s! But, you know what, I was always happy to be delegated to kitchen duty.
Today, this recipe reminds me of happy childhood summertime memories and allows my imagination to take me to the shores of the Greek Isles where the days are long and the sun sets long over the horizon. It’s also part of a healthy Mediterranean diet which wasn’t really a thing in the 80’s, but today our waistlines are thankful for it. (Welcome mid-40’s . . . you’re just around the corner!)
This recipe is completely open to your interpretation which is why I love it so much. There are so many ways to personalize it to suit your taste. Not a fan of fresh oregano, use dry. Prefer lemon juice over red wine vinegar, that’s okay too. I encourage you to play around with the quantities of all the ingredients until it’s just right for you! (Truth be told, the day we photographed this recipe, I forgot the kalamata olives – so if you like those, please add in as many as you like. A lot of people don’t love olives and this recipe definitely doesn’t require them so you can “forget” to buy them.)
Once all is prepped and made, it’s time to snap open a cider or pour another crisp glass of sauvignon blanc (or retsina if you really want to transport to Greece) to accompany the fresh ingredients that go into our version of the classic Greek Salad. Oh and any remaining salad tastes even better on day two! Have fun cooking!
For the dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon oregano (fresh if available)
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large English cucumber, diced
4 to 6 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped roughly
300g Feta cheese, diced or roughly crumbled
Salt and pepper
- Make the dressing: In a large bowl that will hold the salad, combine extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, white vinegar, oregano, garlic and whisk until combined (don’t worry about emulsifying the oil and vinegar – it all works out in the end)
- Add all ingredients to the dressing and toss
- Add salt and pepper to taste
Recipe created by Gluggable.
