Greek Salad

Summertime = Salad time and I LOVE it. There is almost nothing better than a crisp, hardy, delicious salad. Except for cookie dough, and smoothies, and cereal, and popcorn....I digress. I truly do love salad. I didn't always love salad. I actually used to hate it. Until I was 20 or 21 to be honest. Until I kicked refined sugar in all forms and was forced to eat healthy. Mostly because I didn't grow up eating many vegetables that didn't come from a can, I don't like salad dressing because until I married my husband I hated vinegar, and cream (still hate cream), and lettuce tastes like dirt. That is the recipe for not liking salad.

But when you have a salad that has every color of the rainbow and tastes like heaven, how can you refuse. This salad honestly doesn't need dressing. Should you desire dressing mix together a little olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and dill and you will be a happy camper.

Another thing I love about this salad, my three year old son loves it. He LOVES Kalamata olives. I know he is so weird. What three year old will sit and eat a jar of Kalamata olives? Mine will. Since he was two he's known to eat around the seed in olives. He was so excited because I bought pitted olives so he could just shovel them down. I hate Kalamata olives. I even tried to eat them for him and couldn't do it, so I just gave mine to him and he was happy.

With this salad, I didn't even have to separate everything into portions of each ingredient because he will eat "leaves" now. Such a win! I am so proud of him as far as eating goes. I am actually proud of him in every way. He is such a great kid. But man he is a GREAT eater. I am so lucky.

Ingredients

Romaine Lettuce

3 Roma Tomatoes, wedged

1 Red Bell Pepper, 2 inch slices

1/4 Red Onion, sliced

1 can Artichoke Hearts, chopped

1 jar Kalamata Olives

2 c Garbanzo Beans, cooked

1 Cucumber, quartered and diced

Fresh Basil

Fresh Dill

Dressing

Olive Oil

Red Wine Vinegar

Fresh Garlic, minced

Dried or Fresh Dill

(I didn't use dressing, and I just eyeballed it for my husband.)

Directions

1. Wash and dry lettuce, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, artichoke heaths, cucumber, basil, and dill. Chop and layer in a salad bowl.

2. Top with beans and olives.