Spicy Chopped Greek-Style Salad with Peperoncini

Ingredients

• 15-20 large Peperoncini, drained well and sliced
• 1 can black olives of your choice, drained
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 2 cups diced cucumbers
• 1/2 cup red onion strips or sliced green onion
• 4 oz. Feta cheese, cut into cubes
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 T Peperoncini brine
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. dried Greek oregano
• Black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Snip the stem end from each Peperoncini with kitchen scissors, then put them in a colander in the sink to drain. While they sit, stir together the Peperoncini brine, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, dried Greek oregano, and black pepper, then whisk in the olive oil for the dressing.
2. Once the Peperoncini have drained, use the scissors to slice them into strips. Make them thick or thin, whichever you prefer.
3. Drain the olives. If you want smaller bites, halve them, but whole olives work nicely here too.
4. Dice the tomatoes and cucumbers so the pieces are roughly even in size. The pieces should be about 3/4 inch square.
5. Slice the red onion into slim pieces, or if you are using green onion, cut it thinly.
6. Cut the Feta into cubes similar in size to the tomato and cucumber pieces.
7. In a large bowl, carefully mix the Peperoncini strips, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Add as much dressing as you like and toss gently.
8. Add the Feta cubes and fold everything together again with a light hand.
9. Finish with black pepper to taste, then serve. Tomato salads are usually best fresh, but this one can still be good after a night in the refrigerator. If you expect leftovers, you can hold back some tomatoes and mix them into each portion when you are ready to eat.