SUMMER SALADS

Wooden Salad Bowl

Spode Square Salad Bowl

Mason's Salad Bowl

Mason's Square Salad Bowl

Here are several recipes for summer salads.

         

               A GREEN SALAD WITH ORANGE WALNUTS AND BLUE CHEESE

You could alternatively use flaked San Mihalis or Parmesan any other hard, tasty cheese, instead of blue cheese for this salad.

1 large cos lettuce, tender parts only, torn into bite-sized pieces

1 bunch of rocket, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 large navel orange, peeled and filleted

75 g (½ cup) walnuts, roughly chopped

30 g (¼ cup) blue cheese

Dressing:

125 ml (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil

125 ml (½ cup) orange juice

1 scant tbsp honey

1-2 tbsp wine vinegar or lemon juice

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

¼ tsp salt or according to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Beat all ingredients for the dressing thoroughly.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  It can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours at the most.

 In a large salad bowl combine the salad greens with the orange sections, spring onions and walnuts.  Drizzle with 3-4 tbsp dressing (or more if preferred), sprinkle with cheese and toss.

                  

                                        A SALAD FROM THESSALONIKI

Try this salad.   It is not as complicated as it seems

½ kg (1 lb) white cabbage, finely shredded

125 g (4 oz) red cabbage, finely shredded

Ice cold water

62.5 ml (¼ cup) white wine vinegar

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

3 carrots, coarsely grated

½ a yellow pepper cut into julienne strips

½ a red pepper cut into julienne strips

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 sweet gherkin, finely chopped

½ cup parsley, finely chopped

½ tsp salt

Dressing:

2 tbsp good wine vinegar

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp Dijon mustard

Juice and zest of an orange

1 tbsp honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients well together until the dressing thickens

Season the red cabbage with ½ tsp of salt, mix well and refrigerate for about an hour.    Then rinse thoroughly with cold water.

Fill half a large bowl with ice-cold water and vinegar, add the red cabbage, cover and refrigerate for half an hour, at least.   Then strain, dry and arrange it in a cold salad bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients, drizzle with the salad dressing, toss thoroughly and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

 

                    

                A SALAD WITH LETTUCE, CHERRY TOMATOES, AVOCADOS    

                                                       AND PINE NUTS 

                   

The dressing for this salad thickens and tastes like mayonnaise.  It keeps well in the fridge for about 3 days.

2 large cos lettuces, the inner tender leaves only, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 avocados, peeled, pitted, diced and drenched with lemon juice

12 cherry tomatoes, preferably from Santorini, halved

Salad Dressing:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp evaporated or fresh milk

½ tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Stir thoroughly until the sauce thickens

2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly roasted

In a large salad bowl layer the lettuce, avocados and the cherry tomatoes.  Drizzle with salad dressing, sprinkle with pine nuts, toss and serve.

                        

                                                     BEETROOT SALAD

This salad is usually served with cheese and crusty bread.

1 kg (2 lb) fresh beetroots with leaves

1 medium onion, finely sliced

½ a garlic clove, minced, optional

Dressing:

3-4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp vine vinegar

½ tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp mustard with honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Boil the leaves with stalks separately from the beetroot bulbs.    Slice the beetroot bulbs and mix with the onions and the garlic, if using.  Drizzle with the salad dressing and toss gently.   Serve the boiled leaves separately, sprinkled with the dressing.

                                            

                                          BOILED ASPARAGUS SALAD

                                                    

                                                    

 Prepare this well-known classic in spring, when fresh asparagus are plentiful.  But it is a lovely salad all year round.

1 kg (2 lbs) white or green asparagus

Salt

1 bay leaf

Vinaigrette dressing, (see recipe below)

2 eggs, hard-boiled, whites and yolks finely chopped, separately

 Break off the hard end of each stalk, peel off the hard skin towards the tips, and tie the asparagus in bundles.   Boil the asparagus in salted water and a bay leaf, standing up, leaving the tips exposed, for 7-10 minutes or until just tender.   Drain well.  

Serve, hot or cold, drizzled with dressing and sprinkled with the chopped boiled egg.   Offer the remaining vinaigrette in a sauce-boat.

   

Vinaigrette:

½ -1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)

½ tsp salt

 ½ tsp mustard powder

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice or more, if preferred

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Black pepper, freshly ground

Mix all the ingredients in a jar and shake well.  Use as much vinaigrette as you need, and store the rest in a covered jar in the refrigerator. 

                 AUBERGINES, COURGETTES AND PEPPERS IN TOMATO ASPIC

                  

    

                                         

Prepare this first dish in summer, when vegetables are at their very best.  You could use cubed carrots instead of aubergines with red and yellow peppers.

3 aubergines, the long variety

3 tbsp olive oil

4-5 medium-sized courgettes

2-3 sage leaves

1 clove garlic, peeled

Salt and pepper

2-3 red Florina peppers, roasted and placed in a plastic bag to cool

500 ml (2 cups) fresh tomato juice

1 large clove garlic, bruised

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 tbsp tarragon vinegar

1 tsp honey or more, to taste

A few drops Tobasco sauce

15 g (½ oz) gelatin powder

Parsley leaves for decoration.

Line a 25cm (10 in) loaf-tin with cling film and brush with olive oil.   Slice two of the aubergines thinly, lengthwise and sprinkle with salt.   After 5 minutes, rinse, dry and sauté them in olive oil and 2-3 tablespoons water and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.  

Cut the remaining aubergines into cubes, follow the same procedure and set aside.

Slice the courgettes lengthwise and simmer in salted water with the sage until tender.   Dry on kitchen paper and set aside.   Also remove the Florina peppers from the plastic bag, peel and remove the seeds.  Cut them lengthwise into quarters, drizzle with a little vinegar and sprinkle with salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Then pat dry and set aside.

Simmer the tomato juice gently for ten minutes, with the garlic, tobasco, vinegar, honey and salt.  Discard the garlic, taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.   Soften the gelatin in iced water and add it to the hot tomato juice and stir until completely dissolved.  As the tomato starts to set, pour a little into the loaf-tin, garnish with parsley leaves, refrigerate and let it set

 Line the loaf-tin with the aubergines slices, leaving about 5 cm (2 in) hanging over the sides.   Pour a little of the tomato juice over, refrigerate and let it set. Add the courgettes sprinkle with 1/3 of the herbs and cover with tomato juice. Refrigerate and let it set once more.  Continue the same procedure with layers of peppers and cubed aubergines, each sprinkled with herbs and tomato juice.   Cover with the overhanging aubergines and cling film and chill for at least 6 hours.

Overturn on a dish on a bed of crisp lettuce leaves, sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with olive oil.   Serve with crisp brown bread, feta cheese and glass of white wine.

                                                    CUCUMBER SALAD

This is a lovely, refreshing salad.

2 cucumbers, peeled, cut in half, lengthwise, seeds removed and thinly sliced

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp salt

Olive oil

Combine the sugar, vinegar and salt and mix well together and pour over the cucumber slices.  Cover, ice and forget about them for at least an hour.  Just before serving drain off the liquid and pat dry.  

Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with chopped dill or tarragon.

                                                

                                                       GREEK SALAD

         

                

                                                         

This is one of the most popular salads.     Prepare this salad in summer when tomatoes are at their best.

4 ripe but firm tomatoes, cut in eights

1 large or 2 small cucumbers peeled and sliced

½ green pepper, thinly sliced in julienne strips

½ yellow pepper, thinly sliced in julienne strips

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tsp fresh oregano

12 Kalamata olives

120 g (4 oz) feta cheese, cubed

2 tbsp capers soaked and strained if salty

Dressing:

1 tbsp wine vinegar

3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste.

Place the first six ingredients in a bowl.  Prepare the dressing, pour over the salad and toss.  Garnish, attractively,  with olives, capers and feta cheese, and serve immediately.

      

                                                 GREEK WILD GREENS

                                                               Horta

Here is a brief note on Greek horta, different kinds of wild edible plants.   A mixture of these plants or a single variety is boiled and served with olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice and eaten as a salad.

Some people, when they go for an outing in the country, collect these delicacies from the fields or mountains, where the best horta can be found.   Of course, villagers are experts, knowing all the varieties, and in the past, horta were an important staple of their diet. 

There is a great variety of horta.   The following is a list of the most common ones:

1.    Dandelions  (Agrio Radiki)

2.    Wild Nettles (Tsouknithes)

3.    Charlock or Field Mustard (Vrouves)

4.    Wild Salsify (Trapogon)

5.    Rocket, (Roca)

6.   Amaranth (Vlita) also cultivated

7.   Borage (Pouradza)

8.   Mallow (Moloha)

9.   Wild Fennel (Maratho)

10. Wild Lettuce (Pikralida)

11. Purslane (Adrakla or Glistridha), eaten raw as well

12. Sorrel (Lapatha)

13. Bulbs of Wild Grape Hyacinth (Volvoi), used for pickles

14. Samphire (Critamon), used for pickles

15. Bulbs of Wild Orchids (used for a drink called Salepi)

16. Mediterranean Hartwort (Kafkalithres)

17.  (Almirikia)

18. Purslane (Hirovotina)

In Greece, we also make salads of boiled, cultivated vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, chard, courgettes, and spinach.  These vegetables are just boiled in salted water, strained and served with olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice.

                                                        LENTIL SALAD

                

                                                                                

Serve this salad cold, over crisp lettuce leaves.

¼ kg (1/2 lb) brown lentils

1 bay leaf

Dressing:

1 tbsp vinegar

½ tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp mustard with honey

4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp fresh thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

(Whip all the ingredients together)

1 sundried tomato, finely chopped,  optional

Boil the lentils with the bay leaf until just done then drain well, rinse in cold water.  Add the chopped sundried tomato, if using, drizzle with the dressing and toss gently.  Then taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

                                       LETTUCE AND TUNNY FISH SALAD

                                            

A very easy and light meal.

1 Cos lettuce, leaves separated, the tender leaves shredded

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1 tsp chopped dill

225 g (7.5 oz) or more tunny fish tinned in water, strained and flaked

Sauce:

200 g (6.5 oz) yoghurt, low fat if preferred

4 tbsp light mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

First, prepare the sauce.   Combine the yoghurt, mayonnaise, salt, pepper and olive oil and mix well together.  Taste and adjust accordingly, and set aside.

Place the shredded lettuce, spring onions and dill in a glass bowl and toss until well mixed.    Arrange the flaked tunny fish on top to cover the surface.  Spread the sauce evenly over the tuna fish and sprinkle with parsley and freshly ground pepper.   Chill for about 1-2 hours before serving over lettuce leaves.

    

                                                     POTATO SALAD

      

                   

                                              

This is lovely salad served with grilled fish, meat or poultry,

½ kg (1 lb) small waxy potatoes

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

½ cup sweet gherkins, finely chopped

1 tbsp capers, soaked in water to remove excess salt

1 small onion, finely chopped, or

2-3 spring onions, finely chopped

4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Boil the potatoes in salted water in their skins until just done.    Do not overcook.   Strain in a colander and leave to cool before peeling.     Cut the potatoes into cubes, place in a bowl and mix with the other ingredients.   Taste and adjust seasoning.

  

                                     PURSLANE AND YOGHURT SALAD

                                      

                  

In Crete, there is a cultivated type of purslane with large leaves, but it grows wild all over Greece.    If you cannot find it, substitute it with watercress or rocket.    Incidentally, it is assumed that purslane may reduce cholesterol.

¼ kg (1/2 lb) purslane, roughly chopped

Dressing:

1 cup or more strained Greek yoghurt

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

A little tarragon vinegar, optional

Place purslane in a salad bowl.   Mix all the dressing ingredients well together, taste and adjust the seasoning, drizzle over the purslane and toss.

                                           

                                           ROAST VEGETABLE SALAD

                                               

We were given this recipe by a friend who is an excellent cook!   It is also delicious prepared with fennel bulbs, artichokes, carrots, onions, pine nuts and raisins.

2 medium-sized aubergines, the long variety, cubed

2 medium-sized courgettes, sliced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 green, 2 red peppers and 2 yellow peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 medium onions, peeled and cut into quarters or eights, from stem to root

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt

1-2 tbsp estragon vinegar

1-2 tbsp honey

½ cup roasted pine nuts

Toss the vegetables with salt and 1 tbsp olive oil.  Place them in a baking tin, double-lined with baking parchment, and roast in a moderate oven preheated 180 C (350 F) for about 20 minutes to ½ hour or until they are tender and lightly browned.  Transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place the onions with a tbsp olive oil, a little salt and 2-3 tbsp water in a small saucepan and simmer until the onions are just done. Then, stir in the honey, pine nuts, and vinegar and remove from the heat.   Add the onion mixture to the vegetables, sprinkle with the remaining olive oil and toss.   Correct seasoning, if necessary, cover and chill. 

Serve the next day or the day after, as the salad improves when the flavours and aromas mingle.

  

                                             A SALAD FROM THE MANI

The orange, in this salad, is a pleasant surprise!

½ kg (1 lb) small, new potatoes

1 large navel orange, peeled and filleted

½ tsp grated orange rind

1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced

About 2 tbsp vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp oregano or

1 tsp fresh thyme

Olive oil to taste

Kalamata olives for garnish

Boil the potatoes in their skins, in salted water, until just done.  Then, peel them hot and cut into bite-sized pieces.  

Place the potatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with pepper, oregano or thyme and drizzle with vinegar to taste.  Add the orange, onions and sprinkle with a little salt.   Mix well, taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper and vinegar, if necessary.  Finally, add olive oil to taste.

                                           TOMATO AND BASIL SALAD

                                              

This salad needs the very best quality tomatoes and freshly picked basil from the garden.

3 ripe, but firm tomatoes, skinned, seeded, sliced and chilled

a small bunch of small-leaved basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Just before serving, arrange the tomato slices attractively on a chilled, round serving dish.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, place a basil leaf in the centre of each tomato slice, drizzle with some olive oil and enjoy!

                            WATERMELON SALAD WITH FETA AND BASIL

A delightful, refreshing summer salad.

One 2 kg (4 lb) seedless watermelon, cut in half, the flesh scooped out with a melon baller

½ cup feta cheese crumbled

½ cup chopped basil leaves, plus extra twigs for garnish

Dressing:

2 tbsp tarragon vinegar

1 tsp honey

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Reverse the scooped-out watermelon half to drain in the refrigerator.  Place the watermelon balls in a large bowl and sprinkle with feta and chopped basil.  Meanwhile, prepare the salad dressing by mixing all the ingredients well together and pour over the watermelon mixture and toss to distribute evenly.

Transfer the salad to the iced watermelon half, garnish with extra basil twigs, place on a dish and serve immediately.  

   

"Viva la Vida" by Frida Kalho