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Recipe - cucumber, tomato, and mashed potato salad
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The Vegetarian Examiner is back after a bit of a hiatus, and I’m going to ease back in with a relatively easy recipe.
This one was inspired by my favorite salad at Za, a great little gourmet pizza restaurant in East Arlington. When a move to Somerville meant that we could no longer just run around the corner for it, we decided to try our own version.
This salad, consisting of cucumbers, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and, yes, mashed potatoes, can easily be an entire dinner, or an appetizer in smaller quantities. Though it requires a little cooking (the potatoes) it is great for hot nights when the last thing you want is hot food.
This recipe, as with many of the ones I’ve pieced together through trial and error, is open to interpretation. Besides the amount of cucumber and tomato, you can vary the level of each ingredient, though be warned that too much extra feta and olives can make it quite salty. To be honest, we’ve never measured out the ingredients in this salad. We tend to start out light and add more according to preference (especially the spices).
Finally, as noted in previous recipes, I am a traitor to my heritage and occasionally (ok, usually) use instant potatoes as a shortcut in recipes. Idahoan are, however, the only ones I actually like. No, they did not pay me to say that. My only recommendation on the potatoes here is that you keep them simple. Roasted garlic flavoring can be nice, but don’t start throwing in cheese or horseradish mashed potatoes – it will distract from the flavor of the salad.
This makes enough for dinner for 2, or appetizers/sides for 4:
- 2-3 cups mashed potatoes, cooled to room temperature
- 1 large or 2 medium cucumbers, peeled and diced into about ½ inch square pieces
- 2 large or 3 medium tomatoes (pick your preferred kind) diced into about ½ inch square pieces, excess guts discarded
- About 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
- About 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Splash of balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons oregano
- About 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
Cook potatoes, set aside to cool.
Combine all ingredients except potatoes in large sealable container. Cover, shake until you’ve dispelled all your frustrations for the day. If you don’t know how to have fun, place in a large bowl and stir until combined.
Divide potatoes evenly between bowls, scoop salad on top evenly. Serve!
When you have a chance, try the original at Za. I have yet to be able to make it as well as them.
| Also try: Za, 138 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington; 781-316-2334; http://zarestaurant.com/ |
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