Red, pink, pale green, darker green, purple/black and white are the colors looking up at you from the bowl on the table. Add the dressing and turn the contents over and your fork will start jabbing in–involuntarily.
Tomatoes, cucumber (peeled or unpeeled), peppers (red or green), sweet (red) onion, black olives, feta cheese, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt & pepper.
A glass of retsina, blue blue sky, a dry summer heat, a swimming pool or blue blue sea.
The first nine ingredients are the essentials, the last five are preferable–but not obligatory–as they are not always available!
It works best if the tomatoes and cucumber are sun-ripe and juicy but the contrasting tastes of the feta, the olives, olive oil, vinegar and seasoning make this national dish worth eating anytime, anywhere.
Chunks, curls, slices and slabs lend a spirit of generosity to the brimming bowls presented here in Corfu.
The olives here in Corfu are the kalamata variety, similar to the small black olives that feature in that other summer wonder–Salade Niçoise. Their faint bitterness balances the sweetness of the tomatoes and cucumber.
The grilled sardines–small but meaty–arrived on a large plate, filling it from edge to edge.
Greek salad would have made a simple, clean and contrasting accompaniment with or without the cheese–no room though!
Robin Ellis 