Sweet Red or White Onions, Cucumbers, Tomato’s and Feta Cheese
For this salad use only very fresh home grown herbs and vegetables. It simply does not taste as good when made from market vegetables that were picked green in Mexico or Chile, shipped thousands of miles and ripened in shipping boxes and on your market display counters.
Garden Fresh – Greek Farmers {horiatiki} Salad
*3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
*1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
*1 clove garlic finely minced {optional}
*1 tablespoon fresh finely chopped oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
*1/4 teaspoon salt {optional}
*1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and extra for garnish {Optional} use sparingly
*3 tomatoes cut into bite size wedges
*1/4 sweet red or white onion sliced into rings
*1 cucumber sliced into thick half moons de-seed if cucumbers are large
*1/4 green and red sweet pepper julienne {optional}
*4 oz (120g) feta cheese—cut into small cubes
*16 kalamata olives are best, well rinsed stuffed green or small pitted black olives will work
Hint: Some Greeks add what ever garden fresh greens and herbs they may have to this salad. Try adding a small amount of Arugula, Endive or Radicchio. What ever greens you may decide to add to this salad, Do Not put any of that tasteless worthless ‘Ice Berg’ head lettuce in this salad.
Put olive oil, lime or lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano in a small jar with a screw top lid and shake to combine.
Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Top with feta cheese just before serving.
Garnish the Greek salad with a fresh green, red or yellow mild pepper or a little freshly ground black pepper.
Serve with fresh homemade hard crust bread.
All Onions Are not created equal. In Greek salads or any other dish calling for onion, use what you have fresh from your backyard garden. Adjust quantity used as need for the type onion your using.
Shallots are related to onions but have a different flavor. They also have ornamental value as they produce attractive flowers during the summer. They can grow quite tall as well, about 1 1/2 feet. French shallots (grey shallots) are quite popular. There are also red shallots, echalion shallots, and Dutch yellow shallots.
Bunching onions, These kinds of onions are appropriate for harvesting as green onions. Recommended varieties include Beltsville Bunching and Japanese Bunching. These onions work just as well if planted from seedlings, seeds, or sets. These kinds of onions are a good pick for colder climates and late fall to winter harvests. They will not form bulbs and indeed the entire plant with the root structure can be harvested and used.
Winter onions, These are onions that are planted during the winter in some areas and are harvested during the following growing season. Egyptian, Hill and Walking Onions are often considered winter onions. They are good for an early batch of green onions.
Leek has a mild onion like taste. In its raw state, the vegetable is crunchy and firm. The edible portions of the leek are the white base of the leaves (above the roots and stem base), the light green parts, and to a lesser extent the dark green parts of the leaves.
Leek is typically chopped into slices 1/4 inch (5–10 mm) thick. The slices have a tendency to fall apart, due to the layered structure of the leek.
Eaten raw in salads, doing especially well when they are the prime ingredient.
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