I just love the sweet crunch of the red peppers, the refreshing cucumbers, the succulent vine ripe tomatoes, the creamy, crumbly feta cheese and the Mediterranean sun-kissed Kalamata olives. For dressing I use lemon, extra virgin olive oil, oregano and garlic salt to taste. If available, I prefer to use sheep’s milk feta which is softer. If not, then try goat milk feta. In Greece, most feta is a combination of sheep and goats milk. The growing popularity of Greek Salads in US restaurants is actually an American variation which includes lettuce. This recipe is for a traditional “Horiatiki Salata” (Village Salad), most common in Greece, which does not include lettuce.

For a total mini Greek vacation play Greek music from “Zorba” and dance your way to the table. Greek music just seems to make mealtime more lively! As you eat your Grecian Goddess Village Salad visualize yourself feeling like a goddess and sitting in a taverna (restaurant) on a beautiful Greek island overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

- You can also watch the video I hosted in beautiful Santorini, Greece called A Greek Island’s Destination Cooking Class. It was chosen as #1 NY Times about.com culinary gift. To order or watch clips go here and at http://www.celebrategreece.com/. Opa!

THE GRECIAN GODDESS GREEK VILLAGE SALAD
By Cynthia Daddona

3-4 tomatoes quarted
6 oz feta cheese in cubes 1 medium sized cucumber sliced and quartered
1 sliced onion (optional)
2 medium sized red peppers sliced
1/2 cup-1 cup Kalamata olives
3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
sprinkle of dried, ground oregano,
squeeze of 1/2 lemon
garlic salt to taste

Mix bite size sliced ingredients, olives and toss with olive oil, oregano, lemon and garlic salt to taste. Add feta cheese on top and serve.

Please credit this recipe to its creator – Cynthia Daddona. Cynthia is the author Diary of A Modern Day Goddess® – a guide to creating a life that nurtures your body, mind and soul who also hosts Romancing the Table™ a celebration of life, love and food on the voiceamerica network. For recipes and photos go to her Romancing the Table food blog or click here for replays of her radio show. She can be contacted via here. To see a clip or order A Greek Island Destination Cooking Class (DVD/video) that Cynthia hosted in Santorini, Greece go to http://www.celebrategreece.com/ or http://www.moderndaygoddess.com/.

Romancing The Table ® website: