Food for 'Tauk

Greek Pasta Salad

with Genevieve Salamone

Photo by Genevieve Salamone

"Make food simple and let things taste of what they are." Maurice Edmond Sailland, French writer (1872-1956)

I'm usually not a live-by-a-quote kind of person, but this is one that truly makes sense to me, and also I already live by it. The best thing about food is the ingredients that create a meal or a recipe. It's the way they combine to form a taste that may not be what you expect; or, one that you do expect because if it's purity. With just a few simple and fresh ingredients, you can create flavors that will make your taste buds dance.

I'm definitely not a minimalist when it comes to food - you may have realized that by now. But I am definitely a foodie who appreciates each ingredient that goes into every recipe I make. There's a reason for everything, and I look at it as building flavors to create an explosion of taste.

I don't like to hinder the flavors in my food by adding heavy gravies, or too much spice. I like to add ingredients that enhance the essence of each ingredient. Let's take something as simple as my Olive and Mozz Bruschetta (Issue 50, 2008). There's no actual cooking involved, it's all about taking fresh ingredients like mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil and combining them with some vinegar or lemon (which helps bring out the natural juices) and salt and pepper with olive oil. Just a few pure ingredients, and it's like a party in your mouth.

Lemon juice is a huge flavor enhancer. I drizzle some lemon juice in everything from salads to soups. The acidity in lemon does something magical to almost any kind of food. It intensifies the flavor of whatever you are making, bringing out the true prisms of taste in each bite. I even put lemon juice on my rice - weird, I know, but you've got to try it.

The inspiration for this pasta salad came from my love of Greek salads, and I wanted to come up with a way to make it a more substantial meal. It turned out to be insanely delicious, but I couldn't go wrong with this one. I just took simple, pure ingredients and let them work together to create some of my favorite flavors. The mellow saltiness of the feta and the sharp tang of the kalamata olives balances so well with the sweetness of the tomatoes and fruity-ness of the olive oil. This is a simple, delicious salad that's great on its own or as a side salad.

Greek Pasta Salad

Combine red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano and salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in your olive oil to create an emulsified dressing. Then add in your pasta, feta cheese, olives, and tomatoes, and mix gently until all ingredients are well coated in the dressing. Chill for at least an hour, or serve at room temperature.

Tip: Add grilled chicken and some warm pitas for a completely balanced meal.

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