(17) Basque Salad

I don't think I realized this didn't have lettuce in it until we started making it! HA! (yes, I'm blonde!) Anyway, I wasn't sure what it would be like, but it was REALLY tasty. It was a great, cool compliment to our main meal. There were 8 of us and we had leftovers - big salad!

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Basque Salad

Yield: 6 (big!) servings
Source: Allrecipes.com

"Inspired by a salad served at a Basque restaurant in Bakersfield, this sensational summer salad features fresh tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and colorful bell peppers. The dressing combines olive oil, red wine vinegar, with oregano, basil, and marjoram."

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 medium fresh tomatoes - cored, quartered,
and sliced as thin as possible
1 large cucumber - peeled, seeded, and thinly
sliced
1 Spanish onion - peeled, cut in half, and
thinly sliced

Dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
chopped fresh parsley

1) In a large bowl, toss together the green, red, and yellow peppers with the tomatoes, cucumber, and onion.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Whisk in oregano, basil, and marjoram. Continue whisking until ingredients are well blended and the oil and vinegar are emulsified.

3) Pour dressing over vegetables, and toss gently with a wooden spoon. Cover, and marinate at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, stirring frequently. Refrigerate until 1 hour before serving; then remove from the refrigerator, and let sit at room temperature. Garnish with chopped parsley.