Keep Your Composure

I love the whole idea of composed salads.  It's fun to have a whole platter of pieces from which to put together the perfect bite.


The perfect bite is something that I'm always striving for, both as a cook and as a diner.  There's just something so appealing about popping the perfect balance of tastes and textures into my mouth.  It's so satisfying, and so often very difficult to achieve.

That's what's so great about this composed Greek salad.  There's a platter with all the parts -- the feta, the cucumbers, Kalamata olives, red onion,  and the tomatoes.  The whole thing is drizzled with a fruity olive oil.  The rest is up to you.

Forget about fancy centerpieces when you serve this salad.  It's so beautiful that it'll stand in for even the most elaborate flower arrangement.

Recipe:  Composed Greek Salad
(Martha Stewart Living, April, 2012)

Ingredients:


2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 small Persian or Kirby cucumbers, but into spears
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1 red onion thinly sliced
1 pound Greek feta cheese, sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:  fresh oregano sprigs

Directions:


Arrange tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onion, and cheese on a platter.

Drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Garnish with oregano sprigs.