Who would ever think that a trip to Australia would end up feeling like a trip to Greece?
For years, I traveled and taught in Australia. I loved it so much I went back year after year and taught in just about every city. I particularly loved Melbourne, mainly because there are a ton of Greeks there and I happen to have a soft spot in my heart for Greeks and Greek food!
On my first visit to Melbourne, I was lucky enough to meet Philippa, a gorgeous Greek woman who exuded style and grace. She invited me for, as she put it, “a simple summer lunch” and that was an invitation I would never say no to. As I got out of the car in front of her house that day, she had a red carpet rolled out the road. “For me?” I thought.
That afternoon lunch still makes me smile to this day. Philippa had set a gorgeous table on the balcony overlooking the river. In the center of the table was an over-sized platter piled with chilled poached lobsters, giant prawns, freshly shucked oysters and scallops still in their shell. Next to it was a vibrant salad.
She poured glasses of sparkling wine and we sat talking and eating shellfish for the longest time. I kept eying the salad and was happy when we finally dug in! It was a vibrant combination of crisp cucumbers, sweet bell peppers, red onions, fruity Kalamata olives and juicy red summer tomatoes cut into rustic chunks. The whole thing was topped with briny caper leaves, salty sheep’s milk feta cheese, doused with virgin olive oil and sprinkled with aromatic oregano Philippa brought from her home garden on the island of Crete in Greece. “We call it a Greek salad.” she said. “ but in Greece they call it “horiataki.”
Whether you’re sitting on Philippa’s’ balcony in Melbourne or at a seaside taverna in Greece, this salad is ubiquitous in the summertime. And now that it’s officially summer, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate this wonderfully abundant season and thank Philippa for the memories of that summer lunch.
Here’s is the recipe below and let me know how you like it!
Greek Salad with Caper Leaves
Love,
P.S. I just learned that the first tomatoes to grow in Europe were on the Greek island of Syros and it just so happens that I’m heading there next May. How’s that for a coincidence??!
|
