Greek salad ideas?

[chefboy2160]

Any ideas on a greek type salad that I can prep a day in advance and dress and serve buffet style (with about 3 changes of the pan or bowls held in ice over 2 1/2 hours serving time,outdoors at about 90+degrees ).Cucumber ,tomato,olives,feta cheese,shrooms,
green onion,olive oil,vinegar,garlic,lemon juice,as well as a mesculin mix! And well this is our life and these were my requests(From the involved members at the council meeting).I will order on wednesday next week and prep on thursday.The party is friday and I will do about 400 covers.If you have a good idea please post as I am up for grabs and am not ordering the food until tuesday next week.
If you want to do some unseen catering here is the chance!
I am going mountain climbing on sunday and I will be kinda whipped for a day or two after so my mind is on the salad but on the mountain more so if you can help its apreciated and I will post the outcome.
Thanks,Doug..........

 

[mezzaluna]

Just an observation from a home cook: mesclun will wilt. Traditional Greek country-style salads (salata horiatiki), which most of the rest of the ingredients suggest, can stand up to the heat because there are no leafy greens in it.

The ones I ate in Greece when I visited in summer had tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, sometimes olives, red or green bell peppers and feta cheese chunks. (I don't remember eating a leafy green salad during the month I was there except on the cruise ship.) The usual salads were dressed with olive oil and red vinegar, a little salt and pepper and fresh or dried oregano. That was it. Sometimes it was served as a composed salad, other times mixed in the kitchen. In the heat this sometimes breaks down but it doesn't lose its delicious flavors. Marinated or fresh button mushrooms would be a nice addition because they will just become marinated and not spoil.

That said, I'm sure you can take of liberties with the veggies you use so long as they won't wilt as they slowly marinate. Zucchini, prepared eggplant (lightly marinated, I guess), capers would also be very nice. Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, kohlrabi and cauliflower might work just fine but that would be a departure from a traditional Greek salad.

I'd be interested to know how it works out. :lips:

 

[chefboy2160]

Mezzaluna, thanks for the input.There were only a couple of people who wanted the mesculin salad so I will deliver these from the kitchen as baby green salad! If they want the Greek salad then they shall have to eat from the buffet.One more question Mezzaluna, when would you dress this salad?
I want to combine all of the ingredients on thursday but Im thinking of dressing it at about 8 A.M. Friday(my event runs from 10:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.). And then Im thinking of dressing it on thursday and giving it the overnight marinade?The peppers are in as well as the button mushrooms so Im kinda leaning towards thursday as these are senior citizens and lots of dentures.Any opinion apreciated ! Thanks , Doug..............

 

[mezzaluna]

I think Friday morning is fine. You risk having your tomatoes turn mushy, IMHO. I would not serve this icy-cold, either. I think it's better if it's just below room temperature.

Let us know how it turns out!

 

[chefboy2160]

Well the salad was a big hit!I followed your recipe Mezzaluna and it worked out great(yes I did add the button mushrooms).Thanks so much for your input from a sometimes brain dead chef who climbs to many high mountains this year!Doug..............