Grilled Lamb Salad

On Saturday we picked up our CSA shares, which come from Garden of Eve farm. Each week they considerately warn inform us ahead of time what we'll be deluged with receiving. This was actually very helpful, as it allowed us to plan ahead and to come to terms with the vast amount of salad we'd be eating all week. Our vegetable share included:

1 head red lettuce
1 head green lettuce
5 garlic scapes
1 bag arugula
1 bag mesclun lettuce
2 baby leeks
1 bunch asparagus

Additionally we signed up for an egg share (1 dozen per week); a fruit share, which included 2 quarts of strawberries and two stalks of rhubarb; and a flower share (I love getting flowers!) made up of sunflowers, snapdragons, rye, and oats.

After picking up the shares we wandered over to the Farmer's Market for rhubarb, cheeses, milk, bread, fish and meat. Then we stopped to say hello to Jessie of Cakespy, who was setting up her craft fair booth nearby, before staggering off home to start some serious greens cleaning and spinning.

And then we had lunch, which was salad. We fled the premises at dinner time to have dinner with Jessie, but we had salad for breakfast and dinner on Sunday and again for dinner Monday. Guess what we're having tonight?

This salad goes out to the current Heart of the Matter event, hosted by Ilva of Lucullian Delights. I'm very happy to be able to say that most of the ingredients were organic and locally grown/raised/produced-- I'm not willing to live without lemons, olives and olive oil, and I indulged myself with the out of season cucumber. Do drop by the HotM blog to look at the many round-ups of delicious healthy food!

Greek Salad with Grilled Lamb
serves 2

Disclaimer: I know perfectly well that real Greek salad does not ever contain lettuce, but I'm taking liberties here so that I don't have to call this dish Not Greek Salad with Grilled Lamb, and because I have a LOT of salad greens to use, okay? So please do not argue with me. THERE IS A LOT OF GREEN STUFF IN MY CRISPER.

Marinate the lamb:

1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoons dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound boneless lean lamb, cut into thin strips

Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, oregano and garlic, and add the lamb. Let it marinate for at least 6 hours (overnight is even better). Just before serving, grill the lamb strips (we like them rare).

Make the Tzatziki:

1/2 seedless cucumber, grated and water squeezed out
1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1/2 teaspoon red or white wine vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine and chill, covered, until serving, the longer the better!

Compose the salad:

1/2 lb romaine or salad greens, torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Kalamata olives, as many as you like
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of crumbled feta
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Toss together in a bowl and then arrange on a dinner-sized plate, top with the hot grilled lamb and as much tzatziki as you like.

Comments

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

Here I was thinking you can never have too much salad... but salad for breakfast? Maybe not! The combination of lamb, tzatziki, olives, tomatoes and mint is one of my all-time favorites. I scored some Kirby cukes from the farmers' market last week, and served them in a salad with grilled garlicky chicken, and farmers' market tomatoes (organic, greenhouse grown) and lettuce. Next time I'll grill some lamb and try that.

[Deeba]

Oooh, I love this sharing business Ann. How absolutely wonderful; am quite envious of you! Must have been fun meeting up with Jessie of Cakespy. Great lamb & yummy salad...BTW, love the disclaimer as well!! Cheers

[katy]

maybe it is the fact that i am half greek and therefore totally biased, but this looks like the best dish ever!

[Chris]

Ha, I know what you mean about CSA boxes... ;) Fortunately we have an option on ours to specify what we never want to receive, and to make some substitutions... there's only so many leafy greens we can take in a week!

This looks delicious, btw.

[Manggy]

Heyyy!!! Gorgeous pics! (something I forgot to mention in the last post as well!) New cam? Or getting the hang of Jack's?

I'm not Greek, so I say, let's forget tradition because you can't argue with deliciousness!

[Ann]

Lydia, well, it was a small salad with strawberries to go with the baked eggs, so not too crazy! I love salads with meat on them-- your grilled chicken sounds lovely.

Deeba, It's always great to see Jessie-- she's a peach!

katy, I like the way you think. :-)

Chris, I weep to think of the amount of lettuce I still have in the crisper...

Manggy, Thank you for noticing! I did replace my lost point and shoot (which wasn't up to the job anyway) with a brand spanking new camera. I'm just loving it to death! I have a long way to go before I get anywhere near your level, but at least now I have the right equipment!

[ilva]

Brilliant Ann, I love this salad! thanks a lot, it is perfect!

[Peter]

The lamb marinade is straight up, a fine blend. The Tzatziki...well, a traditional one uses strained yogurt, to which you can achieve overnight with the yogurt in the fridge in a mesh strainer.

[RecipeGirl]

I'm a huge fan of anything lamb... but I don't think I've put it in salad. Sounds terrific. How fun to see Jessie of Cakespy!

[núria]

I like the idea of having the lamb in the salad! It looks cool and refreshing... I'm all for salads now :D

[grace]

i certainly won't hold the use of lettuce against you. tzatziki covers a multitude of sins. :)

[Ann]

Ilva, so glad you like it!

Peter, I should have been more clear in my post-- what I refer to as Greek-style yogurt is, in the States, strained yogurt. Next time I will make sure to mention that and to advise straining for anyone unable to get the Greek-style.

RecipeGirl, lamb is salad is lovely... but not something I had ever had before either. Meeting Cakespy is always a pleasure. :-)

I like the idea of having the lamb in the salad! It looks cool and refreshing... I'm all for salads now :D

núria, I love salad, but I'm turning a little green... :-)

grace, you said it, sister!

[Nicisme]

Ooooh, lovely photos of a great salad!

[Susan from Food Blogga]

You have captured the flavors of the Mediterranean perfectly in this salad.

[seasonal jobs]

what a good looking dish. Thanks for sharing.

apply for seasonal jobs