8 oz Grapes Few lettuce leaves; shredded 2 Celery sticks; sliced 2 Tomatoes; chopped 2 tb Walnuts; chopped 4 tb Olive oil 2 tb Wine vinegar 1/2 ts Salt Crumbled feta cheese Cut the grapes in half and remove the seeds. Combine with the rest of the ingredients except the cheese. Sprinkle on a little cheese. Cottage cheese or curd cheese may be substituted for feta. Adjust seasonings. From _Greek Vegetarian Cookery_ by Jack Santa Maria. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1984. Pg. 110. ISBN 0-394-74197-8. Electronic format by Cathy Harned.
There is a lot more to the term Greek salad than the familiar summer medley of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, peppers, onions, oregano, feta and olive oil! This Greek salad is a cooler weather treat. It calls for seedless grapes, arugula or spinach, red onions or shallots, great extra virgin Greek olive oil, Greek sea salt (it's the best BTW!), black pepper, balsamic or red wine vinegar, toasted walnuts and crumbled Greek feta. If you've never roasted grapes, you're in for a delicious surprise!
Here is the recipe:
Arugula Salad with Roasted Grapes & Greek Feta
Makes 4 servings
2 cups seedless red grapes Sea salt or fleur de sel Freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil 1 – 2 fresh rosemary sprigs 2 bunches of arugula, trimmed 1 small red onion, halved and sliced ½ cup walnuts, toasted ½ to 2/3 cup crumbled Greek feta Dressing: 2 tablespoons Greek balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar 4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin Greek olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Roast the grapes together with a little sea salt, black pepper and the rosemary for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are wrinkled but still whole and juicy. Remove and set aside until ready to use. Thinly slice the shallot or onion. Place the greens in a mixing bowl and add the sliced shallots or onions. Lightly toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Remove and add to the salad. Add the grapes and all their delicious juices. Save a few for garnish if desired. Add the crumbled Greek feta and toasted walnuts. Whisk together the vinegar and olive oil with a little salt to make a smooth vinaigrette. Add this to the salad and toss gently. Serve.