This time of year is always the worst for me. I live outside of Philly, and January through March tends to be cold, wet, and dark. The holidays are over, and people seem to slip into that post-Christmas over-eating, over-spending stupor, where nobody has the money or the inclination to go out, and the weather threatens to kill you in a slippery icy death if you do. It's so depressing. And comfort foods like thick stews and mac n' cheese and pie just seem to add to the malaise.
So it's around this time of year that I start craving salads, especially anything with citrus, or red and orange veggies. Things that taste like sunshine.
This salad is another Greek origin dish, and it really is my favorite. Salads are awesome, but I find lettuce disagreeable on a philosophical basis. I like salads of more substance, and this is a great one to use as a base. At the end I'll give you some ideas on how to modify it to accompany certain moods or dishes.
Basically, all you need is some Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Fresh Basil, Minced Garlic, Salt, Pepper, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Balsamic Vinegar.
I know I usually tell you ingredient amounts, but salads are very subjective. Maybe you like a lot of cucumber, and just want some tomato for color. Maybe you are all about the tomato, and just want the cucumber for a little crunch. I dunno. I'm not the boss of salads.
Anyways, there are some steps to combine everything that are good to follow to maximize the taste and texture of your veggies, so once you decide how much of everything you want, follow these steps to prepare:
When choosing tomatoes: try to get locally grown whenever you can. It just makes sense. The fresher your tomato, the more vitamins and nutrients it retains, and the better it tastes. For salads, I would avoid Beefsteak tomatoes. These are wonderful for sandwiches and burgers, but they are a little watery and weak-tasting for a tomato based salad. Id' stick with Roma or Cherry Tomatoes for best flavor. If you're using Cherry Tomatoes, just cut them in half, for Romas, I suggest round slices about 1/4 of an inch thick.
I like to dice the cucumbers for a pleasing contrast in shapes, but that's just me. If you're buying organic, non-wax cucumbers, leaving the skins on will add a nice color, a bit of texture, and a decent amount of fiber and nutrients, but in all honesty, if you don't have the money to spend on organics and get the regular sort of store produce, peel your cucumbers before you slice them. The skins of these often contain pesticides that are no good for you, and the wax they put on them, while safe, is unpleasant, and often makes the skins (and your salad) very bitter. So, non-organic cucumbers need to be naked. Moving on!
Once you have your veggies chopped, season them with some salt, fresh cracked pepper, and minced garlic, as per your tastes. Just toss all that stuff together in a bowl. Add to that your extra virgin olive oil. You want just enough to coat the veggies, about 1 teaspoon per cup of salad is a good guide. Toss all that with your fresh basil. Only use the leaves and keep them whole. Again, tastes vary, but I'd go with a handful of basil for every 2 cups of salad.
Keep slightly chilled until you are ready to serve. You may want to add your balsamic to the salad at the same time that you add the oil, but that has a tendency to stain the veggies, so I like to drizzle the vinegar right before serving, and that way everyone gets the amount of vinegar they prefer.
And that's it! Easy Peasy. Now, here are some quick ways to jazz up that basic salad to suit your meals.
Greek Style: Add chopped Red Onion, a bit of Oregano, and some Feta Cheese. My favorite. Or, if you want to be SUPER fancy, go for some Kalamata Olives as well.
Italian Style: Some seasoned Mozzarella Balls cut in half is all you need. Or you can convert into a bangin' Bruchetta by dicing all the veggies small, and serving on top of grilled crustini. drizzle with the balsamic and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan.
Southwest Style: Try adding some diced Avocado, Jalapeno, chopped Cilantro and a little bit of lime juice
Asparagus: Toss in some chopped green onion and some blanched asparagus for some vivid green and added crunch. An addition of toasted pine nuts and Chevre or other smooth goat cheese is true decadence!
As you can see, a very versatile salad. I hope it helps to add some summer to your table in the dark months. Now, I gotta go buy some Feta...
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