potluck dinner + greek salad

A group of my friends have started a monthly potluck dinner. The idea came about to make it more of an intention to get together every month, since sometimes schedules get so crazy, and then poof, it's been two months since you last saw one another. And we all love to cook (translation: all the girls + Kelly's husband Scott love to cook.) So we're rotating apartments each month, and no one has the overwhelming burden of cooking an entire dinner for 8-10 people. You have your dish to make and everyone else brings the rest — this shared potluck is such a perfect concept.

Last night was the first potluck, and the theme was Greek night. I got off easy, picking the Greek salad. Our host Ali made homemade spanakopitas (using an Ina Garten recipe) — it was the star dish! And actually now that I think about it, Ali was the overachiever and made several dishes: a delicious shrimp and tomato stew with olives, baklava for dessert, and a little mezze platter of nibbles to start. Kelly conquered lamb, which totally impressed me. I love lamb, but I'm intimidated to try cooking it. Her Greek lamb skewers with rice were fantastic. There was so much food! One couple had to bail at the last minute so we all doubled our recipes and have tons of leftovers.

I'm so excited we started this potluck, and I'm thinking of starting a potluck with some other friends, too. It turns out to be cheaper than going out to eat at a restaurant (plus with leftovers, you then have lunch for the next day.) And it was so much more relaxed and comfortable hanging out together at an apartment than a restaurant.

For my Greek salad, I adapted a Tyler Florence recipe. The homemade dressing packs the salad with amazing fresh flavor. It's my favorite salad to make.

 

Greek Salad

adapted from Tyler Florence's cookbook, Tyler's Ultimate

serves four

vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

4 garlic cloves, chopped (or I actually put them through my garlic press)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, plus extra for garnish

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

juice of 1 lemon

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved

1 medium onion, thinly sliced (I skip this ingredient because I hate onions. But I'm guessing most of you love onions, so you'll want to add it in.) 

1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted

1 head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, dried and fresh oregano, thyme, and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Put the tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, olives, romaine, and onion, if you're adding it, into one large bowl. Toss everything together.

Note: for the potluck dinner, I poured the vinaigrette right into the big bowl of salad. When I make this salad at home as a lunch for Dan and me (it's a hearty salad), I'll add the dressing to each serving of salad. What I love to do is put a little dressing in a separate bowl, throw in a serving of salad, and then toss it together. I think you get the best amount of dressing that way — no soggy spots and no missed sections. You'll have leftovers if you're making this recipe for two, so don't dress the whole salad or you'll have soggy greens the next day. When you add the dressing, you'll want to whisk it again, since the oil and vinegar separates.