Wave 1 and 2 - Greek Salad

  • This recipe is from Sunset magazine, April 2006 (hope it's ok to post)

    Prep time: About 30 minutes
    Makes: 8 servings
    Notes: You can prepare through step 2 up to 4 hours ahead; cover and chill vegetables and dressing separately. Just before serving, pour cucumber mixture into a colander to drain off any liquid, then return to bowl and mix with feta cheese and dressing.

    My note: to make more Sonoma-friendly, reduce the olives and feta cheese approximately by half. When I made this, I served the olives on the side and let everyone add what they wanted. In addition, I broke the feta cheese into about 1/4-inch chunks to give the appearance that there is plenty of cheese in the salad.

    * 2 English cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
    * 2 pounds tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
    * 1 medium red onion, chopped, then rinsed and drained
    * 1 1/3 cups coarsely chopped parsley
    * 1 1/3 cups drained pitted kalamata olives, halved if large
    * 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    * 1/2 cup lemon juice
    * 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    * 1 pound feta cheese
    * salt and fresh-ground pepper

    1. In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and olives.

    2. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano.

    3. Break feta cheese into about 1/2-inch chunks and add to vegetable mixture. Add dressing and mix gently, adding salt and pepper to taste.