Monday, May 11, 2009

MONDAY MAY MUSING ~ MEDITERRANEAN CHOPPED SALAD

"My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view."

~ H. Fred Ale

May Garden Flowers

(Petunia, Sweet Potato Vine, Alpine poppy, Autumn fern, Gerbera daisy, Columbine, Centaurea, heuchera ~ Key Lime Pie - Creme Brulee)
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MEDITERRANEAN CHOPPED SALAD
~ Garden fresh and colorful ... like May
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1 large red bell pepper
1 large pocketless Greek pita
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup finely chopped romaine lettuce
1 large chopped English cucumber
1 (14 oz.) can rinsed chickpeas
4 seeded and diced Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped scallions (green onions)
freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • Preheat broiler. Place pepper on foil lined sheet and broil abut 15 minutes, turning once or twice until blackened evenly. Remove to bowl: cover with plastic wrap and cool. Peel, seed and dice. Set aside.
  • Brush pita with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Broil about 3 minutes per side or till edges begin to curl and bread is firm. Sprinkle with pinch of coarse salt and let cool. Break pita into 1/2 inch pieces.
  • Dressing: Combine garlic, parsley, mint, basil, lemon juice in small bowl. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil.
  • In large salad bow. combine romaine lettuce, cucumber, roasted bell pepper, chick peas, tomatoes and onions. Add dressing; toss well. Add pita and toss again. Season with salt & pepper. Top with feta and drizzle with oil. (4 servings)

10 comments:

RURAL said...

Lovely and colorful, the photos, and the salad sounds wonderful also.

Jen

Gail said...

Joey...Your garden must be gorgeous...because the poster of flowers certainly is! How long does the centaurea bloom?..It's a plant that I've been tempted by several times... gailk

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

My bell peppers are tiny seedlings... it's amazing to me that they'll actually grow peppers by the end of the season! Brrrr--cold this morning!

Roses and Lilacs said...

Lovely photos. What a nice quote from H Fred Ale. It certainly is true.
Marnie

Naturegirl said...

May is certainly the month that our gardens put out a riot of Spring color! The world is filled with blossoms everywhere!
Your mosaic is filled w/ Spring's delights!

joey said...

Thanks Jen ... it's good and easy for your busy days :)

Hi Gail ... Centaurea should be fine for you (Zones 3-8) in full sun or light shade. You will love it ... very photogenic and a good 'informal' neighbor with few problems. Cut back to basal growth when flowers fade to extend bloom. This is my new friend ... Centaurea 'Amethyst Dream' but I have many 'Mountain Bluet', the perennial Cornflower that just keeps giving. Hope this beauty is more than a pretty face!

Good for you growing these yummy peppers, Monica. Since I'm gone so much of the summer, I've given up on veggies (only herbs), ending up feeding the neighborhood squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks ... thank goodness for local Farmer's Markets!

With your keen macro eye, I would imagine you would like this quote, dear Marnie!

May is 'crazy' wonderful, Naturegirl ... hard to keep up but I wait each year to experience this delight!

beckie said...

Joey, your blooms and foliage are gorgeous as is your collage! What joy you msut get from all these lovelies. I have never seen a white cornflower before, but love it. I hope you are enjoying each moment in your garden.

joey said...

... and I do hope you are also enjoying moments in the garden, dear Beckie! It's a crazy time of year, isn't it! Now that our dreams have come true, it's hard to wrap our arms around our blessings!

Rose said...

Joey, what a beautiful collection of vibrant colors! I've been AWOL for several days and have missed seeing all your beautiful blooms, including the lovely Rembrandt tulips. I remember seeing them last year and planning to plant some, but then I got carried away with other choices. I'm going to have to remedy that this fall:)

A beautiful post for Mother's Day; I hope that you enjoyed your day as well.

joey said...

Thank you, dear Rose, and I do hope your Mother's Day was wonderful also. I've been AWOL myself lately ... here, there, and everywhere ... my head spinning (posted tomorrow's post this AM on my rush to a Garden Club Meeting) and off again to the lake this weekend leaving much undone in my garden ... can't begin to photograph all that is bloooming (sigh)!