The hunt for recipes that allow us to use our weekly bag full of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) vegetables and fruits continues. Our allotment of cucumbers is one I find difficult to use – often I leave them in my brother and sister-in-law’s fridge during Tuesday visits with Mom at his house. So when the August 17-19 issue of USA Weekend ran this recipe, I was delighted.
As usual, I messed with the recipe by adding onion, which we both like, relegating the feta cheese to stand-by status to accommodate dairy allergies, and cutting down on the amount of tomato and cucumber, (Even though I wanted to use mine up, I can only eat so much of that veggie.) So here’s my version of this yummy sandwich that is healthy, easy and delicious. Hiram and I gave this recipe 2 thumbs up. What about you?
Zesty Greek Salad Pitas with Olive-Garlic Tapende
1 small to medium cucumber, seeded and cut into chunks (about 1 cup)
1 cup of chopped tomato
4 medium radishes, cut into chunks
1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 – 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano or 2 teaspoons fresh
Fresh ground black pepper
3 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves, washed
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 whole-wheat pita pockets
1/4 cup Olive-Garlic Tapenade (see recipe below)
In a medium bowl, combine all vegetables except spinach. Add olive oil, vinegar, oregano, and black pepper to taste. Mix well and set aside.
In blender or food processor, combine 2 cloves garlic (I ran mine through a garlic press first), 1 cup Kalamata olives, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, and 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Process in blender or food processor until mixture is spreadable, but not completely smooth.
Spread inside of each pita pocket with a tablespoon of olive-garlic tapenade. Stuff with 3/4 cup spinach and 1/2 cup of salad mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. Enjoy!
