Italian Salad, Dressing, and Pickled Banana Peppers

I am not usually satisfied when I just throw a salad together. I need a recipe, people! This salad and dressing has been my go-to for several years. Of course it tastes best in summer time with ripe ingredients, but it's not too bad in winter either. It tastes best with my homemade pickled banana peppers. I discovered that one of my kids loves these, so this year I am growing two banana pepper plants.

Also, I buy feta cheese from Costco. I divide into fairly small chunks, wrap each chunk in saran wrap, put in a freezer bag, and store in the freezer. That way I can take one chunk out at a time as needed for salad or pizza.

Italian Salad

romaine lettuce, chopped
cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
cucumbers, cubed
green onions, sliced
sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, salted (but raw work too)
feta cheese, crumbled
sliced pickled banana peppers (see recipe below)
Italian dressing (see recipe below)

Toss all ingredients together and serve!


Italian Dressing

2 tbsp. grated Parmesan
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 spoonful honey
freshly cracked black pepper

In a blender, add all ingredients. Blend for 20 seconds.


Pickled Banana Peppers

This recipe makes one pint. Scale up if you have more peppers.

8 banana peppers, sliced into rings with most seeds removed
1 small head garlic, peeled
2 c. water
1/4 c. vinegar
1 Tbsp. kosher salt

In a clean pint jar, add the banana peppers and garlic. In a small saucepan, add water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to simmer and stir to dissolve salt. Pour the hot brine over the peppers in the jar, making sure to cover the peppers. Allow jar to cool, add a lid, and let sit on counter for 2-3 days. Then store in the refrigerator up to several months.