greek Russian Salad

Rossiki Salata

I wouldn't call this a salad in-so-much as it has no lettuce leaves or sliced tomato.  It is what they call here in Greece a meze.  A side dish, a starter.  Or even better, a dollop on a sandwich instead of butter.

It is very popular in Greece, often found on a taverna menu and sold in pots in the supermarket.  Some version of it seems to be found all over Europe and the Balkans.

Boil a few carrots and cut up finely.  Boil as many peas as you desire.  The green and orange give this salad it's eye-appeal

Finely chop a few gherkins (pickled cucumber)

Add a handful of capers.  Our daughter brought back a large jar of locally pickled capers from the island of Paros.  Plump and full of taste

In a good size bowl make up a generous amount of sauce.  I used two thirds greek strained yoghurt and one third mayonnaise with lots of apple cider vinegar to give it a zing.  Whiskey would be even zing-ier

Mix all of the above together and refrigerate.  

Add boiled green beans, chopped green pepper or anything else you think would make a tasty addition.

It's not the family's favourite meze because of the mayonnaise and the green peas and carrots.  They prefer an olive oil and vinegar dressing and a tin of sweet corn instead of peas and carrots.

Budapesti salad  - also known as Chicago salad

This is another salad/starter/meze not usually found on taverna menus, just in a plastic container in the supermarket.  I love this one too.  But I like my mayo.

This is very similar to russian salad but has strips of preserved red pepper, ham and ketchup is added to the sauce to make it a pinky colour.

Below is a list of bits and pieces which you will usually find in this commercially made salad.

- pickles
- roast red peppers  - we either roast ours in the oven, remove the skin and preserve in oil and vinegar or buy a jar ready made
- grated carrot
- strips of ham
- ketchup
- potatoes
- gherkins
- mayo

- salami 
- paprika

Kali Orexi