Greek Salad 'n' Olive Oil Rescues Workerbee(s)

Greek Salad with Olive Oil is a Miracle

Worker for Workerbees

by Cal Orey

"Let Greeks be Greeks, and women what they are."

--Anne Bradstreet

Here I sit in the living room (with two dogs and a cat) and slaving away on fact-checking and proofing the big, big, big book on chocolate. Yesterday, I was chocolated out. Today, sweets--any kind--are not going to make me feel sweeter. Not a chance. Murphy's Law is hanging all over me, from head to toe, and will not go away. At all.

In a cocoa bean shell, the modem has only crashed two or three times since the computer guy paid me a visit. The visiting dogs next door (yep, two of 'em) are barking nonstop and driving my Brittany duo crazy with a capital "C." And I'm wondering what else can and will distract me. Oh, oh, oh. (I had a ghastly nightmare this A.M.--the world ended--fire, tsunami, quake...Could it be because late last night I watched a history special about the Great SF Earthquake-Fire?)

I'd love to hit the kitchen and shake up something healthy and scrumptious--to soothe my spirit so I can stay on the working track despite life's ups and downs. I just picked up a copy of my book The Healing Powers of Olive Oil--and I found the perfect plate. It's easy, fun, and perfect for workerbees on a deadline. It's got feta cheese--my fave; tomatoes--I just bought fresh ones on the vine. And extra virgin olive oil with red wine vinegar--yes, this will work. This recipe has my name on it.

GREEK SALAD

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoons minced parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Salad

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Red onions

Black olives

1/2 cup feta cheese

Mix the dressing and set aside. Chop the veggies, add the crumbled feta, and toss with the dressing. Serve immediately, or refrigerate to marinate several hours overnight.

Source: Spectrums Naturals; Excerpted from The Healing Powers of Olive Oil

More good news: On Friday (before the fun-loving tourists invaded the Lake Tahoe) I picked up a fresh loaf of French bread, black olives, and feta cheese. And my fresh basil and parsley are perfect teammates. How could I have known that these ingredients were exactly what this recipe calls for? It's fate or women's intuition. And this all-natural Greek Salad will feed my soul as it provides an European lift to get me through the rest of the day and into the long, long, long night on a tight deadline.

P.S. I wonder if a soulful rain dance can be converted into a "dog dance" and make the neighbors' canine visitors go back home soon rather than rain on my work parade. No matter. I will find some Greek tunes and blast the stereo. It's poetic justice. Woof!