A Salad in Thyme

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DSC_2932By Tiffany Young

At work, we have a monthly potluck. It’s probably my favorite part of my job. Everyone in the department—from translations to communications brings a dish to share with others.

Since we don’t have any way to heat up food, except for a microwave, it’s always difficult for me to determine what to bring. Will cold mac ‘n cheese really taste all that great? So much of the time I bring a cold salad or pasta.

This month I brought a delicious cucumber, tomato and feta recipe altered from a Pinterest recipe by Five Heart Home. Their recipe can be found at: http://fivehearthome.com/2013/06/28/tomato-cucumber-salad-with-olives-and-feta/.

A main change to mine is that I used thyme in place of dill, because it’s what I had on hand. I loved it!

Dressing:

  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • 1/4 c white wine vinegar (the original recipe used red, but use whatever you have on hand)
  • 1.5 tsp sugar
  •  clove garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • black pepper ground to taste

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

Salad:

  • 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large cucumber, cubed
  • 1/2 c kalamata olives, drained, pitted and halved
  • 1/2 c feta cheese
  • a few sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss. Garnish with sprigs.

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Take pics, refrigerate for a few hours, eat!

 

I thought I’d have plenty of leftovers after the potluck, since there’s usually so much food, but, alas, I did not. But I’m glad everyone seemed to enjoy it.

After we eat, we usually play a game. This time we played Catch Phrase.

Two of the best moments were:

1) When a lady whose first language is Spanish got the word cop out, she described it as a police officer who is not in. We were super confused, but realized it was a brilliant description once she told us what it was.

2) Just before our boss popped his head in because we were laughing so hard, the same lady as above had given this clue: It’s in your pants! None of us could think of a G-rated answer so we just burst out laughing. Turns out it was pocket change. That was so not what any of us were thinking …

If you want a pick-me-up at work, try planning a potluck. Bring food, bring a game and just enjoy each other for a change!