Classic Greek Salad. (Photo by Peggy Cormary for The Washington Post)
The first thing Diane Kochilas does when our conversation starts is turn her laptop around so I can see what she sees: the waters of the Aegean Sea. She is just back from a swim on the remote Greek island of Ikaria, her hair is damp and her smile is wide. On my end of the Zoom, the view is of my home-office wall, so let’s just say my jealousy is palpable.
Kochilas, prolific cookbook author and host of the public-television series "My Greek Table,” was born and raised in Jackson Heights, Queens. But her familial roots are on Ikaria, famous for being one of the world’s "Blue Zones,” where residents enjoy particularly long and healthy lives and where she spends time (and teaches classes) every summer. As I have written before, some of the biggest commonalities among the "Blue Zones” have to do with food; among other things, the regions share a focus on a primarily plant-based diet.
That’s the focus of Kochilas’s latest book, "The Ikaria Way,” which demonstrates the richness and variety of its plant-based cooking, traditional and modern. "We always associate Greek cuisine with lamb souvlaki, meatballs, things like that,” she tells me. "And in Greek restaurants, that’s basically what’s represented most. But this really is one of the great plant-based traditional cuisines of the world. … It’s just that people don’t really think about it in that context.”
As much as I could talk to Kochilas all day about all manner of vegan and vegetarian dishes, this call has a sharper focus. I want to get her thoughts on what I consider one of Greece’s greatest gifts to the world: a classic that we know merely as Greek salad but is called horiatiki salata in its native land. The name translates to "village salad,” Kochilas explains, but its origins aren’t in the villages at all.
At least according to one story, in the 1960s, in the Plaka neighborhood of Athens, she tells me, restaurateurs started adding a block of feta to the top of a simple tomato-cucumber salad. Why? Because there were government price controls on menu items, and the cheese took the salad into a higher-priced category.
Since then, as it made its way onto restaurant menus seemingly everywhere, it has sometimes lost its way, as lettuce - and more - came into the picture. Kochilas talks about how in a Greek enclave in Florida, a scoop of potato salad became de rigueur.
While there are some regional variations on the salad in Greece - mostly regarding the exact type of cheese - Kochilas advocates a purist’s approach for home cooks. After trying her recipe rather than just winging it like I usually do with this dish, I am a convert. When the vegetables, particularly the tomato and cucumber, are in high season and at their peak flavor, and when you use the best-quality olive oil and feta and olives you can find, you’ll understand.
Also crucial: Layering in thinly sliced red onion and green pepper, and sprinkling with oregano and maybe some optional pepperoncini. The result is a harmonious balance of bracingly acidic flavors, rich creaminess, glorious vegetal earthiness and outstanding crunch.
Kochilas does occasional restaurant consulting work, and she tells me that she often finds herself pleading with chefs: Don’t serve Greek salad in January. "Only make it in July, August, September,” or whenever tomatoes near you are at their best, beautifully fragrant and ripe.
Her other rules:
- Find cucumber that’s as fresh as those tomatoes. Cut it into larger chunks than you might think, for the best crunch.
- Don’t add lettuce. "Lettuce and tomatoes aren’t in season at the same time. Either make a nice Greek lettuce salad with dill and scallions and lemon dressing, or make Greek salad.”
- Use Greek feta. "Not Wisconsin feta. This makes a world of difference. You know, you’re not even supposed to call it feta if you’re producing it outside of Greece, so that’s a dealbreaker for me.”
- Include olives "that have some texture to them,” preferably kalamata.
- Put away the vinegar. "The acid comes from the olives and the feta,” not to mention the tomatoes. "No vinegar: This is very important.”
- Use Greek olive oil and Greek oregano, dried or fresh. And be generous with the oil, which balances the acidic flavors.
Kochilas tells me that even as we speak, her garden is bursting with tomatoes and cucumber, and she’s able to have Greek salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And then she shares her favorite part of eating it: dipping crusty bread into the bottom of the bowl to soak up those juices.
At that mouthwatering mention, she and I utter the same words at the same time: "It really is the perfect salad.”
Classic Greek Salad
The secrets to a good Greek salad:
Make it in season, when tomatoes are at their best, and use the best-quality feta - preferably sheep’s milk or a mix of sheep’s and goat’s milk - and extra-virgin olive oil. Then you’ll understand just how the classic combination - which also includes onion, cucumber (in big chunks for maximum juicy crunch), green pepper and olives - came to be so beloved in so many places around the world. If you’d like, serve with your favorite bread, for dipping into the juices at the bottom of the bowl.
Servings: 4-6 (makes about 12 cups)
Total time: 25 mins
Substitutions: To make it vegan >> use a vegan feta, such as Violife brand, or see the related recipe for Herb Marinated Tofu Feta.
The salad is best eaten immediately, but you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days. If the texture suffers, feel free to turn leftovers into gazpacho: Puree in a blender, adding a dash of red wine vinegar and adjusting the seasoning to taste.
Ingredients:
2 pounds large, ripe tomatoes (a mix of varieties, if you’d like), stemmed, cored and cut into bite-size chunks or wedges
1 pound (about 3 cups) cherry or grape tomatoes (a mix of colors, if you’d like), halved
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large cucumber (12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 medium red onion (8 ounces), halved and thinly sliced
12 pitted kalamata olives in brine, rinsed and drained
6 pepperoncini, stemmed and sliced (optional)
1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Greek
5 ounces feta, preferably Greek sheep’s milk or sheep’s/goat’s milk blend, in 1 block
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, preferably Greek (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
Directions:
In a large salad bowl, build the salad by layering the tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber and onion.
Add the olives and pepperoncini, if using, sprinkle with the salt and drizzle with the olive oil. Top with the feta square and sprinkle with the oregano.
Break up the feta and toss the salad immediately before serving. (Alternatively, let guests break off pieces of the feta when they serve themselves.) Season with more salt as needed.
