RECIPE: A Big Salad (with a lot of stuff in it!)

Ok, so I need to credit Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld for that most amusing phrase uttered by Elaine on an episode of Seinfeld when ordering her favorite salad at a diner. “It’s a big salad, with a lot of stuff in it!”   Gosh, that kills me.

What’s the point?  I made a fantastic Greek salad last night for dinner (and yes, it had a lot of stuff in it).  During the summer, I love to enjoy refreshing homemade salads made with fresh herbs and veggies from the local farmers market.  I caught this recipe being prepared by one of the most prominent Greek chefs in the country, Michael Psilakis, one afternoon on an episode of Martha Stewart. Yes, I enjoy food so much I will even sit through a segment of Martha Stewart to learn something new!

A couple things make this salad a standout.  Lots of flavorful ingredients, including fennel, dill, kalamatta olives, feta, roasted red peppers, and grilled sweet onions.   The Red Wine and Feta Vinaigrette is ridiculously good and very easy to put together.  Grilled sweet onions make an appearance in the blender for this vinaigrette and add a sweetness that really sets this dressing off.  This is optional, but for a bit of additional protein, I like to add some sliced grilled chicken breasts that I have marinated in lemon juice and olive oil with oregano, thyme, rosemary and red pepper flakes.  This is one killer big salad that would stand up to even Elaine's demanding standards! 

Big (Greek) Salad

Ingredients

2 Large Organic Chicken Breasts

Juice of 1 lemon

8 – 10 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon of dried greek oregano

Juice of one lemon

1 large sweet onion, thickly sliced

Extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and cracked black pepper

1 large head iceberg lettuce, very thinly sliced

1 pound whole trimmed bulbs of fennel, sliced crosswise paper-thin

Roasted Bell Peppers, or 4 small store-bought fire-roasted red bell peppers, cut into strips

24 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

3/4 pound English cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and thickly sliced

8 scallions, thinly sliced

1 red onion, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup small fresh dill leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup small fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano

25 – 35 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

3/4 cup Red Wine and Feta Vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

4 pepperoncini, sliced

Directions

Preheat a gas grill to medium heat.Pound chicken breasts to uniform thickness of ½ inch thick or so. Sprinkle chicken with thyme leaves, rosemary, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and marinate in juice of one lemon and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for at least thirty minutes.  When the grill is hot, grill for 6-8 minutes per side, until the chicken is completely cooked and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.  Set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes.

Preheat a griddle or cast-iron skillet to medium heat. Brush sweet onion slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on griddle and cook, turning once, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove onions from griddle and separate into rings.  Place grilled onions in a large bowl along with, lettuce, fennel, roasted peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, red onion, dill, parsley, oregano, and olives; toss to combine.

Drizzle salad with vinaigrette and toss until vegetables are well coated. Top with feta, sliced chicken breast and add pepperoncini; MANGIA ADESSO!

Source: Adapted from How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking by Michael Psilakis

Red Wine and Feta Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 small onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for onion

Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup red-wine vinegar

6 fresh basil leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

6 cloves garlic, smashed

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano

Directions

Preheat a grill pan. Brush onion slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place onions on grill pan and cook, turning, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Toss to combine.

Transfer onion to the bowl of a food processor along with vinegar, basil, thyme, feta, mustard, garlic, shallots, oregano, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper; pulse to combine.

With the processor running, slowly drizzle in 3/4 cup olive oil until dressing is smooth; season with salt and pepper.