Pockets of flavor for pockets of fun

Last weekend I organized the food (and a cooking class of sorts) for a women's sailing getaway. The menu was gorgeous - beautiful to look at, easy to prepare, and nutritious. One of the goals was to show the women that you can eat well on a sailboat without stressing too hard about it all, and I think we accomplished that in spades.

FBYC women sailors know how to have fun!

They packed a ton of fun and adventure into a 24 hour time period, which in my book qualifies as pockets of fun . . .

One of the recipes I shared (and we made) was a Greek salad. Now, salad can be boring, I'll grant you. Put lettuce in a bowl, put some other stuff on top, douse it with dressing from a bottle, and call it "good for you."

But 2 small tricks can take that salad from "eh" to "WHOA!"

1) Choose some yummy veggies that will absorb some delicious flavors (like cucumbers, or jicama, or onions, or cooked potatoes, or radishes, or . . .) and marinate them in a flavorful, homemade dressing.

2) Chop up handfuls of fresh herbs and toss them with the lettuce as the base.

Try it. You may well be amazed.

Greek salad for the win.

Greek salad (serves 4)

• 2 heads romaine lettuce, washed and chopped roughly
• 1 bunch (or good handful) fresh mint, chopped roughly
• 1 bunch (good handful) fresh Italian parsley (flat leaf), chopped roughly
• ¼ red onion, slivered
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into bite-sized pieces (I cut in quarters lengthwise, then chop)
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 red or yellow pepper, slivered
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted if they have pits in them
• 3 oz feta cheese
•  
• dressing:
• ½ c olive oil
• 2 TBS red wine vinegar
• 2 TBS lemon juice (fresh squeezed!)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• (some more parsley)

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend away, or alternatively you can just shake it well in a jar.

Marinate the cucumbers and the onion in the dressing for at least 30 minutes before serving.

To serve: Mix the lettuce with the herbs and arrange on a platter or in a bowl. Top with the vegetables, the dressed vegetables, the olives, and the feta cheese. Toss and enjoy!