Food with Love #1: Tomato Feta Salad
Tuesday, August 1st, 2006
Hi this is Jenna from Vacation Souvenir! How are you all doing? I trust you’re having a great summer! Marco, Chocolate, and I are having a wonderful summer, even though the weather’s been very hot here in New York City. Actually we’re going through a heat wave spell. It’s so hot that I don’t feel like going near the stove to cook anything. We’ve been eating a lot of salads lately. Here’s a simple salad that Marco and I like to eat. Its flavor reminds us of our vacation on one of the Mediterranean islands. Anytime we start thinking about it, we feel like dropping everything and returning there for a little rest and relaxation. That’s where we first met. Have you read our story? If not, you can find it here. The salad I make basically contains cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, red onions, and herbs like fresh basil and parsley. The dressing is made from champagne (or white wine) vinegar and olive oil. I had feta cheese for the first time when I ordered a salad on vacation. It has a tangy and salty flavor, which tastes delicious crumbled over a salad (That’s the classic Greek salad.). Another way feta cheese tastes appetizing is when it’s served with tomatoes and fresh herbs, like my salad. Here, the sweet juice of the cherry tomatoes balances the tangy taste of the feta cheese. The red onions add a bit of a crunch to the salad. The fresh basil and parsley enhance wonderful flavors of the salad. The dressing of champagne vinegar and olive oil nicely bring together the appealing taste of the salad. Even the colors of the salad are cool looking and pleasing to the eye. Make sure you use very good feta cheese and olive oil when you prepare this salad. It makes a big difference in the taste. Enjoy! Jenna from Vacation Souvenir
Tomato Feta Salad Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa 3 pints (6 cups) cherry tomatoes 3/4 pound good feta cheese 1 small red onion, chopped 3 tablespoons white wine or Champagne vinegar 1/4 cup good olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a large bowl. Dice the feta in 1/4-inch dice, crumbling it as little as possible. Add the feta to the tomatoes and then add the onion, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley. Toss carefully and salt, to taste, depending on the saltiness of the feta. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
