Barefoot Contessa Strikes Again + Middle Eastern Salad

Any of you avid cooks know that Barefoot Contessa's new cookbook, How Easy is That, came out this week. I had already read a great article about it in House Beautiful (love that magazine) and watched her cook some recipes on the Today show that looked fabulous. I couldn't wait to pick it up and start cooking! There are so many recipes I wanted to try but I started with this simple salad, Middle Eastern Salad. I had most of the ingredients already at home and true to her word it was easy to make. This salad is filled with chick peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh feta, parsley, mint and basil! It is delish! Ina recommends serving this with hot pita bread, so I am going to try that today, but it is amazing all by it self! I think this salad could also be great served at a party with pita chips as a dip, since it is more of a chopped salad. Either way it will knock your socks off!

MIDDLE EASTERN SALAD

- 10 SCALLIONS, WHITE AND GREEN PARTS THINLY SLICED

- 1 POUND RIPE TOMATOES, SEEDED, CORED & 1/2 INCH-DICED

- 1 HOTHOUSE CUCUMBER, HALVED LENGTHWISE, SEEDED & 1/2 INCH-DICED

- 1 CAN OF CHICKPEAS, RINSED AND DRAINED

- 1/3 CUP CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY

- 1/3 CUP CHOPPED FRESH BASIL

- 1/3 CUP CHOPPED FRESH MINT

- 1/2 CUP FRESH LEMON JUICE (4 LEMONS)

- 1 TABLESPOON MINCED GARLIC (3 CLOVES)

- 1/2 CUP GOOD OLIVE OIL

- 8 OUNCES GOOD FETA, 1/2 INCH-DICED

- TOASTED PITA BREAD FOR SERVING

PLACE THE SCALLIONS, TOMATOES, CUCUMBER, CHICKPEAS, PARSLEY, MINT AND BASIL IN A LARGE BOWL AND TOSS TO COMBINE.

IN A SMALL BOWL WHISK TOGETHER THE LEMON JUICE, GARLIC, 2 TEASPOONS SALT AND 1 TEASPOON PEPPER. SLOWLY WHISK IN THE OLIVE OIL TO MAKE AN EMULSION. POUR THE DRESSING OVER THE SALAD, TOSSING GENTLY TO COAT ALL VEGETABLES. ADD THE FETA, SPRINKLE WITH SALT AND PEPPER, AND TOSS GENTLY. SERVE THIS SALAD WITH THE TOASTED PITA BREAD.