Looking for a fresh and delicious way to get the most out of your fresh summer produce? Chop it all up into this refreshing and delicious cucumber salad with feta, olives, tomatoes, and red onions!
During one of my deployments to Iraq, I managed to line up my mid-tour leave with a conference my mom and sister were traveling to in Greece. Since the timing of flights getting in and out of the country always seemed to be sketchy at best, I got to Athens a couple days before they did, checked into the hotel, and proceeded to explore the monuments, shops, and restaurants.
Oh, the restaurants. There were so many great restaurants and they all had plenty of chairs and tables out in the open air so you could sit and enjoy the views and people-watch. And they always started you off with a deliciously fresh salad, a loaf of crusty bread, and a beer.
They were so absolutely refreshing in the heat of the Athenian summer that I couldn’t help but think about them when our temperatures started going up and my cucumbers started growing…and growing…and growing!
These are Kirby cucumbers. They’re comparatively short and bumpy, and they’re both deliciously crunchy and great for eating raw, but also great for pickling. We have pickled a lot of the cucumbers that have come off our plants, and I’ll be sharing how we do that when we have a batch done.
But when I harvested the first few, all I could think of was chopping them into a delicious and flavorful Greek salad and serving it up for lunch with some crusty bread and a couple of beers.
Fresh, refreshing, and absolutely delicious!
For dressing, you can make the vinaigrette I have listed here, or you can just drizzle over a little olive oil with salt and pepper and let the taste of the veggies shine through. I’ve been a big fan of Laconiko products lately, and I love my rosemary olive oil with this!
[lt_recipe name=”Greek Cucumber Salad with Feta + Olives” summary=”Looking for a fresh and delicious way to get the most out of your fresh summer produce? Chop it all up into this refreshing and delicious cucumber salad with feta, olives, tomatoes, and red onions!” servings=”2″ total_time=”15″ print=”yes” image=”https://homefrontcooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Cucumber-Salad-1015-1024×683.jpg” ingredients=”For the vinaigrette:;4 tbsp olive oil;2 tbsp red wine vinegar;1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped;1 tsp Dijon mustard;1/4 tsp salt;1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper;For the salad:;3 cups chopped cucumbers (3 Kirby cucumbers);1 cup cherry tomatoes;1 cup Kalamata pitted olives;1 small red onion, diced;1 cup crumbled feta cheese;2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped;salt and pepper to taste;” ]To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the oil, vinegar, oregano, mustard, salt, and pepper until well combined. Set aside.;Chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion. Pile separately on a plate or mix in a bowl as desired.;Season as desired, and top with fresh parsley. Drizzle generously with the vinaigrette. Serve and enjoy![/lt_recipe]
All you need for a hot summer day is this delicious salad, a small loaf of crusty bread, and a bottle of Mythos. A little salty air from the Adriatic doesn’t hurt either, but we can’t have it all.
The only thing you could do to improve on this meal is, if you’ve got a large group to serve, add in a plate of dolmades {Greek stuffed grape leaves} and delicious cheesy tiropitas! My dad has some great recipes for those after traveling to Greece himself {he wanted to visit family friends in Athens and experience our food journey} and I’ll hopefully share those soon, although I’m waiting to be able to cook those with him again before I share them.
Oh, and make sure you’ve got a bottle of ouzo handy for a toast after the meal!
How are you enjoying summer produce, and if you have a garden, what’s been your favorite thing to grow and cook from it so far?
