WATERMELON, FETA AND BLACK OLIVE SALAD
INGREDIENTS
1 small red onion
2–4 limes, depending on juiciness
1.5 kg sweet, ripe watermelon
250g feta cheese
bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
bunch fresh mint, chopped
3–4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
100g pitted black olives
black pepper
Serving Size : Serves 8
METHOD
1.Peel and halve the red onion and cut into very fine half-moons and put in a small bowl to steep with the lime juice, to bring out the transparent pinkness in the onions and diminish their rasp. Two limes’ worth should do it, but you can find the fruits disappointingly dried up and barren when you cut them in half, in which case add more.
2.Remove the rind and pips from the watermelon, and cut into approximately 4cm triangular chunks, if that makes sense (maths is not my strong point). Cut the feta into similar sized pieces and put them both into a large, wide shallow bowl. Tear off sprigs of parsley so that it is used like a salad leaf, rather than a garnish, and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.
3.Tip the now glowingly puce onions, along with their pink juices over the salad in the bowl, add the oil and olives, then using your hands toss the salad very gently so that the feta and melon don’t lose their shape. Add a good grinding of black pepper and taste to see whether the dressing needs more lime.
Greek-Style Bread Salad with Creamy Lemon-Caper Dressing
Dorothy Krasowska
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
May 2009
SERVES 6
Prep Time: 20 min
Bake Time: 10 min
Ingredients
12 baguette slices
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
3 cloves garlic, 1 halved, 2 finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Greek-style yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
One 10-ounce bag chopped romaine lettuce
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
Pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Brush both sides of each bread slice with olive oil, place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Rub the garlic halves on each toast.
2. In a large salad bowl, add the chopped garlic; whisk in the yogurt, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss with the lettuce, tomatoes, onion and capers. Season with pepper. Divide the salad among 6 plates and top each with 2 toasts.
THE ULTIMATE GREEK SALAD
INGREDIENTS
1 red onion
1 tablespoon dried oregano
black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
200ml extra virgin olive oil
5 good tomatoes
1 teaspoon caster sugar
pinch of Maldon salt
1 very large cos lettuce
1 bulb fennel
125g pitted black olives
400g feta cheese
juice of half a lemon
Serving Size : Serves 6–8.
METHOD
1.Peel and finely slice the red onion then sprinkle over the oregano and grind over some pepper.
2.Pour in the vinegar and oil and toss well, cover with clingfilm and leave to steep for a good 2 hours; longer’s fine. What you’ll notice, once it’s had its time, as well, is that the blooded crimson of the onion is somehow now a luminescent puce. It’s a science thing, something to do with the acid in the vinegar: don’t ask. You don’t need to be fully conversant with the technicalities to be able to take advantage of them. That’s to say, I often use this trick in other ways. An otherwise overwhelmingly brown slab of meat can be immediately lifted (in looks and taste) by being covered with some red onions, cut into wedges of 8 or so, and then fried in olive oil, to which, once softened, you add the juice of a lemon.
3.On top of the lemony pink onions add some sprinkled Maldon salt and a generous amount of summer-green chopped parsley. Or make a quick sauce for pasta (this should be enough for a 500g packet of spaghetti) by cutting a red onion into very fine half-moons (ie, cut the onion in half and then slice each half as finely as you can), frying it in olive oil, spritzing in the juice of half a lemon, as before, and then tossing this, along with 200g tuna cut into thin little rags, into the cooked drained spaghetti; the heat of the pasta will cook the raw tuna plenty.
4.Add seasoning to taste, and some extra virgin olive oil as you like, and a goodish amount of chopped fresh parsley (again). But these are just suggestions: the pink onion technique can be drawn on in whatever way pleases you.
5.But to return to the case in hand: when you want to eat, get started with the rest of the salad. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, then cut each quarter into quarters (always lengthwise) again, so that you have a collection of very fine segments (rather than chunks). Sprinkle the sugar and a pinch of salt over them and leave while you get on with the rest.
6.Wash the lettuce if you need to (I always try and get away with not) tear into big pieces and put into a large, wide salad bowl.
7.Slice the fennel and add that, then the olives and the feta, cut or crumbled into rough chunks, and toss well.
8.Now
