The Ultimate Greek Salad

(Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson – gift from the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2003)

Ingredients:

1 red onion
1 T dried oregano
black pepper
1 T red wine vinegar
¾ c plus 2 T EVOO
Peel and finely slice the red onion and place in bowl.  Sprinkle with oregano and pepper.  Add red wine vinegar and oil and toss well.  Cover with plastic wrap and leave to steep for at least 2 hours or more.  I found that this can last in the refrigerator for a week. 
NOTE:  Magic happens with red wine and red onions; as they marinate they turn a luminescent pink and the taste completely changes.

Rest of salad ingredients:

5 good tomatoes
1 t sugar
pinch sea salt
1 very large head of romaine lettuce
1 bulb fennel
½ c pitted kalamata olives
14 oz feta cheese
juice of half a lemon

Cut tomatoes in quarters, then quarter again for small segments/wedges.  Spring the segments with the salt and sugar and let sit while you prepare other ingredients.

Tear romaine into big pieces and put in large salad bowl. Slice the fennel and add that, then the olives and feta (cut or crumbled into rough chunks) and toss well.  Now add tomatoes, the red onion (now pink) and oil, and the lemon juice.  Toss gently but thoroughly so that everything is well combined.

Jenn’s Notes:  This salad is one of our favorites.  Since it is usually just me and Joe, I use my own judgment and modify the ingredients for the two of us.  The onion/dressing will keep for a while in the fridge and you can use them in other salads or for other purposes.  Also, the fennel is a replacement for cucumbers.  I haven’t tried it yet but I plan to this summer.  However, it is noted that you shouldn’t substitute cucumbers for the fennel as they will make the salad soggy after a while.

Tomato Tartlet Recipe

I <3 Food.  And homegrown tomatoes.  and basil.

I came across this recipe on one the weekend edition of Today Show...It comes from Martha Stewart and it is so easy that I have to pay it forward to all 4 of my loyal blog watchers.

Puff Pastry:  I've always wanted to try it.  Giada and Ina and all the great chefs rave about it on the cooking channels but I just hadn't gotten around to it.  This is a must have staple for the freezer.  I purchased Pepperidge Farm brand.  Two comes in a package and you just take one out and save the other for later (in the freezer).  Set it on the counter for 40 minutes or so and it is ready to use.

This recipe is sure to impress anyone and it is one of the easiest to make.  Let me know if you try it and how it goes.  Now...if my green tomatoes in the backyard would just turn red...

Recipe: Tomato tartlets

Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• All-purpose flower, for rolling
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 2 1/2 ounces grated sharp white cheddar (2/3 cup packed)
• 3 medium tomatoes, cut into ten 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Ground pepper
• 1/3 cup small basil leaves, for serving

Preparation

Active time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min + cooling
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in upper and middle thirds. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll out puff pastry to a 14-by-16-inch rectangle. With a 4-inch cookie cutter, cut out 10 rounds and transfer to two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets; with a fork, prick each round all over. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese on each, leaving a ¼-inch border, and top with 1 tomato slice. Brush with oil and season with pepper.
Bake until pastry is deep golden at edges, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let tartlets cool completely on a wire rack. (Store between layers of parchment in an airtight container, up to one day.) To serve, top with basil.

Serving Size:  Makes 10