2 1 / 2 heads of romaine lettuce
1 red onion
1 pepper
3 Kirby cucumbers
1 6-ounce can of black olives
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
1 8-ounce feta crumbled feta cheese

Dressing

3 / 4 cup olive oil
fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon (4 to 5 tablespoons)
1 / 4 red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper

1. Cut bottoms and a little bit from the tops of the romaine lettuce heads. Pull apart and rinse lettuce leaves. Dry on paper towels. Cut romaine into small pieces and place into a large bowl. Add washed cherry tomatoes, whole. Peel and rinse cucumbers. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and then slice. Toss into bowl.
2. Slice green pepper and red onion as thin as possible and toss into bowl.
3. Open black olives can and drain. Toss into bowl. Lastly, sprinkle feta cheese over the whole salad.
4. To prepare dressing, squeeze the juice from one lemon and add to a salad dressing bottle. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well by shaking. Do Not Serve the dressing on the salad. Serve the dressing on the side.
5. ENJOY! – Greek Salad isn’t Greek to me!

Salad has taken America by storm; it serves as lunch and/or dinner for so many of us. There’s nothing quite like a big, colorful salad! It’s quick, easy, and nutritious and the variety of these tender, leafy greens is amazing. In fact, most restaurant menus provide a separate section of salads to satisfy even the most finicky palate!

When I was growing up, salad was served with nearly every evening meal. It consisted of iceberg lettuce, tomato and cucumber. There was no salad dressing in my home….it was all about pure olive oil and red wine vinegar. We ate our salad at the end of the meal. There were no salad bowls; we just ate it right off the dinner plate. The first time I saw salad dressing and salad bowls was when I went to dinner at my friend’s home. To this day I always eat my salad after a meal. This is a tradition from my father’s family because they held fast to the belief that having salad last helped in digesting one’s meal. Even when I have salad at a restaurant I try to save some of it for after the meal. That little ritual doesn’t always work when the waiter wants to clean up the table quickly to serve the next customer.

Caesar salad, Greek salad, Cobb salad, and Spinach salad are some of the most popular salad choices. The olives and feta cheese make the Greek salad unique. Real Greek olives make it extra special if you want to really make an effort. Greek dishes that are popular are the gyro (lamb pieces in a pita bread), the souvlaki (lamb meatloaf with a yogurt sauce), baklava (nut pastry with honey), spinach pie (spinach with feta cheese in pastry) or a Greek salad. These are the standards that have been around New York many years.

Try a Greek salad; I think you’ll love it. Hey, while you’re at it, spring for a gyro and some baklava. However, don’t tempt fate and smash your plate, because that only happens in Greece!