THE TRUE GREEK SALAD

Preparation: 20 minutes (without the preparation of the marinated eggplants)
Yield : 2 starters or 1 dish

The simplicity and freshness of this salad make it a summer favourite. Greek salad is a classic that everyone can personalize (keeping some basic ingredients of course). Every Greek family has to have its own recipe so feel free to personalize our recipe (even if our chef is sure it is perfect as it is). 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (60 mL) Greek dressing-marinade Maison Orphée
• 1/4 Cup (60 ml) feta cheese
• 1/4 Cup (60 ml) diced ripe tomatoes 
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) Kalamata olives tapenade
• Green olives of your chosing for decoration
• 1/4 Cup (60 ml) red radishes sliced into strips
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) diced cucumber
  1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped red onion
• ¼ Cup (60 ml) marinated eggplants (feel free to prepare them yourself, see below)
• 1 artichoke heart drained and diced
• 2 slives of lemon confit, diced
• Some fresh oregano leaves

Preparation:

In a +/-450 ml translucent glass salad bowl, arrange the ingredients nicely and successively as follow:

1. Put a layer of tapenade at the bottom.
2. Then cucumbers, tomatoes with two spoonfuls of Greek marinade dressing well distributed.
3. Add the artichoke, eggplant and radishes in successive layers.
4. The last layers will consist of the following ingredients: onions, then crumble feta, olives, lemon confit and the rest of the vinaigrette.
5. The finishing touch, sprinkle a few leaves of oregano to decorate and finish the dish.

You were warned that this recipe was simple.

To impress your guests, you could make your own marinated eggplants.

In a frying pan, cover the bottom with a few millimeters of balanced extra virgin olive oil Maison Orphée.

Slice some eggplants (half a centimetre) preferably not too ripe or better still Thai eggplants (long purples).

Fry them on both sides until they get a nice stain, drain them on absorbent paper.

Store the eggplants in the refrigerator in a glass jar, covering them with fresh balanced extra virgin olive oil Maison Orphée (oil not used for cooking).