My Mom made a Greek salad for most dinners we had at home using the Wishbone packet that they sold with the glass bottle and you added water and oil. The packet had the spices that made their famed, Mediterranean salad dressing. I think it checked the box for most families for an Italian or Greek dressing. You can go down the salad dressing aisle and there are numerous brands and varieties. It’s a big market, which is rather surprising because it’s so easy to make your own at home with ingredients you have right in your own kitchen, which is what we’ll do today.
Back to the Greek salad if you order a Greek salad in Europe, it will look much different than the version you would find here on a restaurant menu or at someone’s home. For the most part, there’s no lettuce, and the salad consists of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, sometimes celery, sometimes purple, onions, or whatever the cook or kitchen has on hand. Sometimes you’ll find chunks or crumbles of Greek Feta cheese and sometimes you’ll find It on the side. For the dressing this is what you’re most likely to find a variation of olive oil some type of vinegar, salt, pepper, and some local spices.
One more thing on Feta cheese. Often you buy it in a small package of 7 or 8 ounce chunk at the grocery store. It’s also available in a crumbled version. You can also buy it at one of the bigger stores like Costco Sam’s in a huge chunk you buy it either that way or in the 8 ounce chunk. I like to prepare brine to store it in. My Mom used to do this. I think it stays fresher longer in the brine. You boil water with a proportion of one cup of water to 2 teaspoons of salt that you will add. I measured in a Pyrex/glass measuring cup so depending on how much cheese you have and how big your glass jar is. Start with boiling (I use my tea kettle for this) and then measure out 3 cups of water in a glass measuring cup. I will add 2 teaspoons of salt per cup, so 6 teaspoons. Then add to the 3 cups of boiling water in that large glass measuring cup. Stir to dissolve. Let it cool to at least room temp before adding to the cheese, cut in small chunks, then place in the glass jar. When brine/water is cooled pour the chilled brine over the feta leaving a little bit of room at the top maybe half an inch to an inch at the top before putting the top on. We go through a lot of Feta cheese, using it in salads, wrap sandwiches on on an appetizer platter with red peppers, bread and olives.
Consider keeping this salad dressing on your kitchen rotation when you make a salad or in your basic kitchen repertoire, it comes in handy either for a salad with lettuce or just vegetables described above. It’s a great day.
Greek Salad Dressing
Ingredients/Supplies
-A glass jar with a lid (I use about a 10 ounce jar)
-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
-3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
-1 clove of fresh garlic minced
-3/4 fresh oregano (or substitute1/2 teaspoon dried)
-1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
-1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
-freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
1. Place all ingredients in the mason jar. Blend with hand immersion blender for just a few seconds until all ingredients are blended well. Store in the fridge. When you take out to use again, take out a little before serving, allowing for olive oil to soften. You may even want to use the hand blender again before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks-If it lasts that long.
