Greek Salad

My mom and I went to Athens for my 16th Birthday.  I'm fairly certain we ate Greek Salad for every single meal...and I'm not complaining.  Ever since, I've been a huge fan of the stuff.  In Greece, the salads were simple bowls of large chunks of the produce.  Huge wedges of tomato, large chunks of cucumber, and whole olives.  And ever since I've been on the hunt for the perfect Greek vinaigrette recipe.  This one comes pretty close, though I never make it the same way twice.  Just continue to taste and adjust according to your preference.  You'll have enough dressing for a few salads, so just store in the fridge!

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

minced fresh mint, optional

1 heart of romaine, torn

1 cucumber, halved and sliced into half-moons

1 cup grape tomatoes

1/3 - 1/2 cup thinly sliced purple onion

12 ounces feta cheese, crumbled into large chunks

1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and drained

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, garlic, salt, and vinegar.  Taste and adjust the flavors to your preference.  Add in some fresh mint if you like, but I prefer it without.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Combine the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, cheese, and olives.   Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

To make it travel-ready:  Pour the dressing in a pint-sized mason jar.  Just shake it well before dressing your salad.  Lettuce can be transported in gallon-sized zip-lock bags.  Depending on how close your delivery is to meal time, you can either put the veggies and cheese in the same bag as the lettuce, or use smaller separate bags to keep veggies fresh and prevent mushiness.  Using grape tomatoes, rather than dicing a roma (or other variety) will prevent them from getting soft before serving.

Recipe adapted from Delicious Salad Meals by Dot Vartan.