Greek salad

Ingredients vary a little depending on availability, but a Greek salad should always be a celebration of ripe tomatoes and will always be a colourful dish. It is usually topped with feta, as we have done here.

Season:  Summer

Type:  Salads

Difficulty:  Easy

Serves:  6 at home or 30 tastes in the classroom

Fresh from the garden:  cucumbers, capsicums, spring onions, tomatoes

Recipe source: Adapted from Stephanie Alexander’s Kitchen Garden Cooking with Kids

• tea towel
• metric measuring spoons
• scales
• chopping boards & non-slip mats
• knives – 1 small, 1 large
• peeler
• teaspoon
• bowls – 1 small, 1 large
• olive piper
• whisk
• serving bowls

• 2 cucumbers
• 12 medium tomatoes
• 4 spring onions or 1 small red onion
• 2 capsicums
• 24 kalamata olives
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 100 g feta

• Set out your equipment and ingredients.
• Peel the cucumber and halve lengthways.  Using the teaspoon, scoop out most of the seeds from the centre of the cucumber.  Cut the cucumber into 2 cm dice and transfer to the large bowl.
• Cut the tomatoes into chunks or wedges and add to the bowl.
• If using springs onions, trim the outside layer and cut off the tops and ends, then cut the spring onions into 1 cm pieces.  If using red onion, halve and peel, then place the late side down on the board and cut crossways as finely as you can.  Add the onion to the cucumber bowl.  Cut the capsicum into 1 cm dice and add to the bowl.  Place all the scraps in the red compost bucket.
• Weigh the feta, crumble it into another small bowl and set aside.
• Use the olive piper to remove the stones from the olives, then cut the olives in half lengthways and add to the large bowl.
• In the small bowl, combine the oil and vinegar to make the dressing.  Whisk lightly, then pour over the salad and mix all the ingredients well with the spoon.  Taste for salt and pepper (remember the cheese is quite salty).
• Divide the salad between the serving bowls and scatter the cheese over the top.