Sauteed Carrot Salad with Feta and Olives

Carrot Salad

I bought some locally grown purple carrots and a red pepper that I would love to combine with my feta cheese, kalamata olives and pine nuts from Titan Foods.  A sprig of mint from my window garden adds the perfect final touch to my Mediterranean inspired salad. 

Ingredients:
 ·      1 tablespoon of olive oil for sauteing
 ·      2 carrots thinly sliced
 ·      1 chopped red pepper
 ·      4 cloves of diced garlic
 ·      hand full of pine nuts
 ·      feta cheese broken up in small pieces
 ·      small handful of diced kalamata olives
 ·      chopped mint (or basil)·
 .      black pepper and a very small pinch of salt (the olives add a salty flavor)
 ·      squeezed juice from 1/2 lemon

Instructions:

1. Saute the carrots in olive oil for about 3 minutes on medium heat (don’t let them get too soft).  
2. Next, turn down the heat; add diced garlic, chopped red pepper and pine nuts.  Gently stir until pine nuts are browned.
3. In a bowl, toss together the sauteed ingredients with the diced kalamata olives, broken up feta, lemon juice, mint, and pepper.  Add salt to taste and serve.
   
   

Shopping at Titan's Market in Astoria, Queens

When craving Mediterranean food, I hop on the M60 bus to Titan Foods in Astoria, Queens. Here you will find the most amazing varieties of feta in all of New York City.  This old world Greek market is filled with delicacies such as olives, anchovies, Greek yogurts, nuts, caviar spreads, grains and legumes.  Also, there is a bakery filled with baklava and other irresistible Greek pastries…. Today, I am focused on buying some kalamata olives and a mild feta made from sheep's milk.