Mediterranean Salad

Crisp and refreshing, and a great low-carb salad you can make ahead. This is a favorite, especially in the summer, which is a great side-dish to serve along with heavier dishes, such as bar-b-que.

You can vary the ingredients and quantities according to your taste or what you have on hand. Here are the basics:

• Cucumber, seeded and roughly diced
• Green (bell) peppers, if desired (I do not use)
• Red Onion, roughly diced
• Olives — Katamala or green olives — whole or rough chopped
• Tomatoes, seeded and rough chopped or small tomatoes cut in half
• Pepperoncini, roughly chopped
• Fennel, sliced to the consistency of the onions, if desired
• Garbanzo beans, drained, if desired
• Feta Cheese, coarsely crumbled

For the dressing:

• Olive Oil
• Vinegar (red wine vinegar or your preference)
• Zest and juice of lemon
• Spices, to taste, but I like to use oregano or an Italian blend (I also REALLY like Penzy’s Greek Seasoning here!)
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Add dressing to prepared vegetables and toss together. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve — several hours (at least) or overnight. Add Feta cheese just before serving.