Greek Feta Salad

Historic Queen Creek Olive Mill offers a great tour explaining the process of growing, harvesting and processing olive oil. Shopping in their unique store and restaurant is an additional surprise. You can pick up a copy of Tastes & Treasures there.

Greek Feta Salad

Ingredients:
1 small head of Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
3 tomatoes cut up, or grape tomatoes
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 cup green or black olives
1/2 lb. Feta cheese, sliced or cut into chunks

Dressing ingredients:
1/4 cup Greek extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 pinch oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Chill lettuce. Combine dressing ingredients. When ready to serve, toss all vegetables and olives. Top with cheese and serve with dressing

Chili for Fall and Football

Chili is the perfect dish for a crowd. This recipe is super easy and quick. Make it ahead and leave to simmer in the crockpot until the company arrives.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
1 package chili mix
1 large jar Great Northern White Beans (drained)
2 large cans diced tomatoes
1 can diced black olives (drained)
Topping Ingredients:
Sour Cream
Chives
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Chopped Avocado

Brown meat in skillet. Drain grease. Add all ingredients to crock pot and simmer for 4 hours.

Lady Bug Caprese Salad

How adorable is this? and edible too!

Lady Bug Caprese Salad

Ingredients:
Cherry tomatoes (split back end)
Balsamic vinegar dots
Black olives
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh mozzarella cheese

Arrange on plate and let the "Ohs and Ahs" begin.

Thanks to Greens First with Mary Tees-Corridon and Gigi Sotomayor for the idea.

Halloween edible decor

Simple and healthy ways to entice the children  . . . and adults!

Spiders (black olives) on devil eggs

Skeleton from celery, cukes, carrots, jicama and parsley

Del Mar Salad Shrimp/salsa

Refreshing and delicious, filled with crab and shrimp. Yummm.
Del Mar Salad
Ingredients:
Shredded iceberg lettuce
sliced black olives,
sliced avocado
diced fresh tomatoes
cilantro
chopped onion
finely chopped red and yellow sweet peppers
chopped jicama
cooked shrimp, chilled
cooked crab, chilled
Viniagrette

Directions:
Combine tomato, onion, sweet peppers and cilantro. Layer lettuce on plate. Add shrimp, crab, tomato salsa, olives, cilantro. Drizzle with Viniagrette. Top with avocado and cilantro sprig.

We also like Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Basil from Tastes & Treasures cookbook, page 175

Wow Salad Presentation

While visiting Costa Rica and dining with friends at their home, Debbie Walker Bauer sent this salad photo. Now This is a Presentation! Love the use of flowers in the food.

Accompanied by the fabulous views, what a dinner party this makes.

"The salad is an arrangement of tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, olives, fresh peaches, red onion. It was delicious. They own a restaurant here in CR. He served stuffed pork with an amazing stuffing! mmmmm good!"

Tomatoes from the Garden

Nothing beats homegrown for flavor and I know how it was fertilized so we are eating pesticide free. We really enjoy the tomatoes and also basil and parsley from the garden. Unfortunately, I have to buy the cheese but the vinaigrette is homemade.

Historic Camelback Inn gave us Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes in White Balsamic Vinaigrette found on page 67 Tastes & Treasures

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
5 heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges

Mix the vinegar and brown sugar in a bowl. let stand until the brown sugar is completely dissolved. Whisk in the olive oil, garlic, shallots and basil. Season with Kosher salt and papper. Add the tomato wedges and toss gently to coat. Chill for 4 hours before serving. Serve using a slotted spoon.
Serves 6.
Note: We made it a hearty salad with sliced cheese. Since we are black olive fans we like to sprinkle a few slices on top.