I’m sharing this recipe with you from one of my favorite sites, olivetomato.com. A Greek salad is made from garden fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, oregano, and the best olive oil and feta cheese you can find. Authentic Greek salad is not served over lettuce, however, when I traveled to Crete, they did serve their salads with a small, leafy green called purslane*. My husband is growing purslane in our garden so I added it to this salad. I ONLY make this salad in the summer when I have access to the freshest, seasonal vegetables. Check out more authentic, healthy and fabulously delicious Greek recipes at olivetomato.com.
The Best Authentic Greek Salad
Ingredients
3-4 garden-ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 cucumbers, cut in half length-wise then cut into ½ inch thick pieces
10-12 Greek black olives
1 small red onion, cut into thin slices
4 ounces of feta cheese
1 cup purslane (if available)
Extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried or fresh oregano
Directions
Put tomatoes and cucumbers in a shallow bowl and gently combine. Place the thinly sliced onion on top. Add the olives. Drizzle with some olive oil and a splash of vinegar. Place the feta cheese on top and sprinkle the salad with oregano.
Nutrition Note: *Purslane can be considered a weed or a delightfully delicious treat. It grows just about anywhere. In rich garden soil, in rock beds, along driveways and paths. The succulent leaves makes it very drought tolerant and you can eat the entire plant, both leaves and tender stems, if you pick it when it’s young. The taste is similar to watercress or spinach. Use purslane in salads or on sandwiches instead of lettuce. Purslane is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, C and a host of antioxidants. Nutrition research on the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet suggest that purslane may play an important role. Not only from human consumption but also from the impact it has on the nutrient quality of meat and milk from sheep, goats, and cows grazing on purslane.
Judymatusky.com
Judy Matusky, RDN, LDN 
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