It's all Greek to me...

It's all sunny and bright and since I've come back from Goa it feels all summery... which is a bit screwed up since it's November and Christmas is round the corner! I've taken to eating Orange ice-lollies and really enjoying them (Both me and Coco had one yesterday, and I fancy another one today!), it's like I'm a kid again. I soooooo wish I'd been able to make a sandcastle when we were in Goa. Or even better, a sand-fort, huge with moats and several huge trenches to keep the sea at bay for a few minutes longer before the waves rush over it and drag the sand back into the rolling surf.

Besides ice creams and lollies, other food memories of my childhood holidays are hot, fresh doughnuts (Yup, they're English and this is how we spell it) covered in sugar; sticky, pink candyfloss, spun right in front of your eyes; Dairylea cheese and salad cream sandwiches, with gritty sand as an added bonus. As I got older, in the evening I might be allowed half a pint of dry cider with a packet of dry roasted peanuts. Wow, I really miss those family summer holidays!

Now summer foods that take my fancy are things like chilled watermelon and fresh salads. One of my favourite salads is Greek Salad, full of ripe tomatoes, crunchy capsicum, tangy red onion and juicy purple olives with the creamy, saltiness of Feta cheese... and that's pretty much the recipe right there!

Greek Salad
Tomato
Cucumber
Capsicum
Red onion
Kalamata olives
Feta cheese
Lemon juice
Olive Oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. chop the tomato, cucumber and capsicum into chunks
2. dice the feta, or crumble it
3. thinly slice the red onion
4. put everything in a bowl and toss with a couple of glugs of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice
5. season with salt and pepper
6. serve with warm, crusty bread

yummy... I love salads with a tomato and cucumber base. I quite often throw in other ingredients too, like sweetcorn, or kidney beans (rajma), or chickpeas (kabuli chana). I'm not too keen on lots of capsicum, so sometimes I substitute this with a bit of carrot for that same crunch. Sweet pickled beetroot or gherkin is an interesting addition - but only in small amounts.

One blog that I love is Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen - she has such good recipes. One that I love is her Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Chat Masala. Her recipe is an Indian take on a Greek salad, with chickpeas rather than feta, and is so tasty. She's got loads of interesting ideas and recipes for pulses, so I'll be going back there quite often!

Well, it's nearly time for Coco's walk now, so I'm off to enjoy the beautiful evening light as the sun sets over Mumbai...