By Real estate waits for no one. I showed 3 houses this week in neighborhoods where the asking prices climb like the temperature. Every showing is a conversation about what home means. Every key I hand over is a story beginning.
Alexander called from school this week. He is growing and building a life with the quiet competence of a young man who watched his mother rebuild from nothing and decided that building is what Papadopouloses do. He still does not call Yia-yia enough. He never will.
I am 45 years old and I have learned that life is not a straight line from A to B. It is a moussaka — layers of different things, some planned, some accidental, all held together by heat and time and the stubborn refusal to fall apart.
I made Greek salad wraps — everything from a horiatiki rolled in warm pita with hummus. Sophia called them genius. I called them Tuesday. We ate at the kitchen table, just the three of us, and for a moment the house was not quiet or loud — it was exactly right. Full. Fed. The sound of forks on plates is the sound I love most in this world.
The olive oil in my kitchen is from a Greek import shop in Tampa that sources from Kalamata. It is expensive. It is worth it. I use it on everything — salads, fish, bread, vegetables, the edge of a pot of soup — because olive oil is not a condiment in this family, it is a philosophy. Use it generously. Use it without apology. Use it the way you use love: poured freely, never measured, always more than you think you need.
The wraps we ate that Tuesday — everything from a horiatiki rolled into warm pita — started with the salad, and the salad started with what I had: bitter greens, good olive oil, a little acid, and the conviction that a simple thing done honestly is always enough. This radicchio salad is the same philosophy in a bowl. It is crisp and a little bitter and dressed with the kind of generous olive oil pour that would make my grandmother nod slowly and say nothing, which is the highest praise she ever gave. Make it as a side, tuck it into a wrap, or eat it straight from the bowl standing at the counter — it is the kind of recipe that does not ask much of you and gives everything back.
Radicchio Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 small head radicchio, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 cups arugula or mixed bitter greens
- 1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (good quality — it matters here)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the radicchio. Slice the radicchio into thin ribbons and place in a large salad bowl. Add the arugula and toss to combine the greens evenly.
- Add the vegetables. Scatter the red onion, cherry tomatoes, and olives over the greens. Top with the crumbled feta and fresh parsley.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, salt, and pepper until combined. Taste and adjust the vinegar or salt as needed.
- Dress and toss. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently so everything is coated. Do not be shy with the olive oil — dress it generously.
- Serve immediately. This salad is best eaten right away while the greens are crisp. Serve as a side, alongside warm pita, or rolled into a wrap with hummus.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 165 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 420mg