“Greek” Salad with Marinated Veggies and Bacon

Add water, vinegar, salt, and lemon pepper to a medium-sized saucepan. On low heat, bring to simmer, then turn off heat and let cool while covered. In the meantime, core the tomatoes, and score their bottoms with a tiny ‘x’. Slice the onion thin, but not too thin. When vinegar water is no longer hot, add the tomatoes and onion, cover, and put into the fridge. Let them soak 12 hours, or overnight.

After 12 hours, remove tomatoes and onion from the vinegar water and set them in a colander in the sink to drain. Discard vinegar water. When they have drained, chop the tomatoes into 8 pieces each or smaller, depending on your taste. Eat a few pieces when no one is looking. Place chopped tomatoes and onion into the bowl you will use to serve the salad.

While waiting for the onion and tomatoes to drain, cook up as much bacon as you like “within reason”—you want enough to be noticeable in your salad but not so much that it’s overpowering. Make sure it’s cooked crunchy and crispy; floppy bacon is unacceptable in this dish. Chop the bacon roughly, and toss it with the tomatoes and onion in the salad bowl. Let them mingle while you go on to the next step.

Wash and dry your lettuce, then cut or tear it into bite-sized pieces. Add to the salad bowl, and toss with the other ingredients.

When you are ready to serve this salad, add the feta cheese and toss to be sure it’s evenly distributed. Add dressing at the very last minute, or let each person add dressing on their own. Serve with toast and hummus, iced green tea, and watermelon slices for a refreshing summer lunch. Enjoy!