Traditional Greek Salad Doodlewash and watercolor sketch with Tomatoes, Feta Cheese, Red Onions, Kalamata Olives, and Cucumbers with knife and fork
By Charlie

A Greek Salad For Summer

Written by Charlie O'Shields

As summer gets closer and closer, my mind is turning toward fresh salads so for our #DoodlewashDinner tonight, I’m bringing this Greek salad. Though here in the States, any salad with olives added is called a Greek salad, this is the traditional version with no lettuce or other leafy greens. Though many variations exist, this one has been made with fresh tomato, cucumber, olive oil, Kalamata olives, red onions, and feta. That last ingredient brings all the magic to this little dish and is one of my favorite types of cheese.

Actually, adding cheese to lots of things can turn the mundane into the magical. As a kid, it seemed like cheese was always yellow, some version of cheddar or individually wrapped slices of American Cheese. Those slices were strange little flaccid things that had a sheen to them similar to rubber. Technically, these can’t be called cheese because less than 51% of the stuff is actually cheese. It’s legally a Pasteurized Processed Cheese Product which just sounds gross and is one of the main reasons I’ve never had one again as an adult who reads labels.

Feta, on the other hand, is a true white cheese made from sheep’s milk, or from a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk. In order to be called “Feta” the cheese must be produced in Greece, similar to the rules for Champagne. People have enjoyed it for ages as it’s one of the world’s oldest cheeses (Homer writes about it in his epic, the Odyssey). I’ll add some crumbled feta to my salad pretty much any chance I get as I find it really addictive. So as summer approaches, I’m getting excited for all of the delicious salads in my future. But my heart will always favor the one drenched in that magical feta.

You’re all invited to a Doodlewash Dinner Party during the month of May! Just tag your food or drink image #doodlewashdinner and I’ll feature you and your culinary creations in a delicious Doodlewash Gallery at the end of the month! 

About the Doodlewash

M. Graham watercolors: Permanent Pale Green, Gamboge, Azo Orange, Pyrrol Red, Dioxazine Purple, and Neutral Tint. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon black ink in a 5″ x 8″ 140 lb. (300 gsm) Pentalic Aqua Journal

Charlie O'Shields

Creator of Doodlewash, founder of World Watercolor Month (July), World Watercolor Group, and host of the Sketching Stuff Podcast. Sharing watercolor illustrations and stories while proudly featuring talented artists from all over the world!

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55 thoughts on “A Greek Salad For Summer”

  1. Oh you have that right…..magical feta…. I have been wanting to make my own some day but with goat milk. We have several goat people, no…. not really goat people but people who raise goats and who sell the milk. Buy some from these people and make some feta! Anyway, your doodlewash looks so good and I seem to always look at your posts when I am very hungry. If I start gaining weight, I’m going to blame you Charlie! 🙂

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    1. Lol! Oh no!! Good thing Tuesday is the last day for these!! 😊lol But it’s going be a giant buffet of delicious food when the guests arrive! Lol Hehe…my grandparents were goat people. I miss getting goat milk, but I’m not sure if I’d like the taste as well as an adult. Haven’t had it in years!

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  3. Oh my hunger pangs are now on full blast Charlie. I’m just getting ready to make dinner, but alas no Greek salad. I do have feta cheese, though! Your doodlewash is beautifully done, so delicious looking.

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  6. (Oh, my computer is a pain – was trying to get the other “R” into Mediterranean!) I wanted to comment about how deliciously you painted this salad. The colors are gorgeous and tempting. Now we’re thinking Greek for dinner. Well, American version of Greek, which is still good. Great art here, Charlie, and much better for my weight.

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  9. Mmmmm, magical feta….your painting looks lovely and delicious, perfect for these warm days. Though I would normally pass on the onions, your painted onions are so pretty they are definite keepers. Thank you for sharing such a pretty dish.

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  11. One must have the Kalamata olives to be a true Greek salad but I wasn’t aware of the lettuce part! Your doodlewash looks delish, Charlie! I made up my own Greek salad with orzo pasta today. And of course, feta cheese was a must! 😉🎨🍴

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  13. Just loving that salads are hot on the menu. This is a great combo, which I often pick, infact just went shopping yesterday, bought green and black olives, and halloumi cheese ( my daughter does not like feta) great doodlewash, as you always do, and another fav of mine 😀

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  14. One second… let me just flick the cucumber out. 😉 (That’s definitely not a euphemism) Well, actually they work pretty well here – what powerful colours all thrown together – so much zing, while also appearing suitably refreshing. Wonderful! And feta cheese <3 oh, now you’re triggering certain cravings!

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  16. Drawn and washed real delicious, Charlie!!! I love Greek salad and i am looking forward to make one myself pretty soon. Thank you for the reminder. 🙂 I agree with you that the feta gives it the magic. But even with the best Feta cheese i can get here in Germany it will never be the same salad i had once on the beautiful Greek island of Amorgos. The pure magic came with the sun-ripened tomatoes,cucumbers, onions and olives from their gardens. You can go to the best stores here and pay an incredible amount of money for sun-ripened veggies from Greece – but you will never get the same taste. I should go there again – as soon as possible.:-)

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  17. Ohhh I love Greek salad I visited Greece twice and I had the opportunity to eat there delicious food and amazing Greek salads I love Feta! You nailed Charlie <3 your plate looks beautiful, delicious and colorful and is a great doodlewash!
    We are at the end of this month and I am wondering about what adventure you will come up next! 😉 <3

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  19. You are definitely making me hungry as I read all these posts I’ve missed the last few days and looking at your wonderful doodlewashes. Greek salad is my favorite salad! So many yummy flavors and textures. I just love the salty feta! Now I need to eat!

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  21. Charlie, your salad looks light and refreshing! Forgive me if I’ve told you this story before, but last year we visited Greece and were shown around by one of the locals in Corfu. For lunch we had locally made, creamy feta that was not salty at all, and we put it on fresh crusty bread, added tomatoes just picked off the vine and a few basil leaves that we picked off the plants in the garden ourselves. This was drizzled with olive oil and washed down with a few sips of ouzo. I will never forget the lively, fresh flavors and how they blended together so well. It is my quest to find a feta sold here in The States to rival what we had in Greece but no luck so far. Never fear, I shall continue my research until such a feta is found 😉 Opa!

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