Tomato-Onion-Feta Salad

This is one of our family’s favorite summer time salads.  No recipe exists for this, because it comes straight from our family’s European heritage.  It’s easy to make, refreshing, pungent, flavorful, and goes really well with almost anything that’s been grilled, but especially a good steak!   It’s guaranteed to become a favorite for you, too.  It’s also my secret weapon for getting my kids to eat tomatoes.

If you let the ingredients sit for a few minutes and marinade, the tomatoes and onions release these amazing juices, that we all fight to dip our bread into at the end of the meal.  Enjoy.

Tomato-Onion-Feta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4-5 medium Beefsteak Tomatoes, sliced into wedges
• 1/2 pound French Feta, cubed and crumbled (or any other feta you can find, but we prefer French, it’s a little less sharp, and softer)
• Sea salt
• Olive oil

Directions:
Put the sliced onions in a medium bowl.  Generously salt the onions with some high quality sea salt.  Then, with one or both hands, work the salt into the onions, squeezing and “pulverizing” them until the onion slices get soft and juicy.  Next, add the tomatoes slices, feta, and drizzle about 1/3 of a cup of olive oil (or canola) and gently toss the mixture together with a large spoon.  Taste and re-season if necessary.  Prepare the salad about a half hour before the meal to let the flavors blend.  It should be served at room temperature.

I don’t recommend making this salad too far in advance, though, as the juices can take over the texture and drown the goodies.  Also, play with the ratios to suit your taste.  Less onion, more tomatoes, more feta.  Or, for a more elegant presentation, layer the ingredients in a platter.