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Insalata Siciliana: Sicilian Salad

© Haze McElhenny

This traditional Sicilian recipe has been garnered from the pantires of many of my Palermo-born friends and associates. It is a traditional recipe and one with a long history being passed from hand to hand.

While this salad recipe is delightful in its place on any menu, it is also favored fare when it is just too hot to cook.

This recipe will serve 4-6 as a salad course or 2-4 as a main plate.

Preparation time: Approximately 1 hour (including standing time)

Necessary Implements: 1 cutting board 1 sharp paring knife A utility bowl for soaking the onions A colander A platter or individual plates for serving

Ingredients:

Begin with the following at room temperature

6 fresh tomatoes

1 large onion or 2 medium

2 oranges, peeled and sectioned, membranes removed

1 lemon, peeled and sectioned, membranes removed

2 stalks of celery To remove the ribs from celery: Break from the rooted end of the stalk and pull the fibrous strings toward the leaves. I enjoy a bit of the leaves in this salad, but that is purely optional.

1/4 lb of good kalamata olives or substitute your own favorite from the brine

1/4 lb of good green olives Any of the brine varieties work well

A few sprigs of fresh basil

1 whole lemon

A generous splash of good Balsamic vinegar

The best virgin olive oil you can find. I prefer Colavita. It is cold, first pressed virgin olive oil with a good body and strong flavor. If you prefer a lighter, less aromatic taste, try Filippo Berio. It is widely available and quite mild.

A good coarse grained salt I use fine or medium sea salt but, if this is unavailable, table salt will do.

Pepper It doesn't have to be fresh ground but a coarse grind is better for flavor and texture.

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I find it best to begin with the onions. In traditional Sicilian kitchens, raw onions are first sliced and then soaked in cold and salted water for about 20 minutes. The onion are then squeezed to remove the excess water and the strong flavor. ( If you don't like raw onions: Try this technique. Even a baby will be able to eat them and you won't be sacrificing the important phyto chemicals that help our bodies to fight disease.)

While the onions are soaking, slice the tomatoes and celery and add them directly to your salad bowl. Use the freshest tomatoes you can find. I prefer Holland tomatoes (on the vine). While they tend to be expensive, they have the best color and flavor of any tomatoes available in the off season.