June 22: Greek Bread Salad with Grilled Shrimp

20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for liberal drizzling
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed in the palm of your hand
1 tablespoon grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 pitas, split open
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with some coarse salt
   Zest of 1 lemon and juice of 2 lemons
1 seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise, then sliced into half-moons
4 vine-ripe tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely copped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced on an angle
1 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
   Coarse salt and coarse black pepper
1 3/4-pound brick of Greek feta cheese, drained and sliced into 12 thin wedges

Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high.

Toss the shrimp with enough EVOO to coat, and season with the oregano and grill seasoning.

Grill the split pita halves for a minute or two to char on the grill. Remove when crisp, break or tear into large pieces, and reserve.

Combine the garlic with the zest of 1 lemon and the juice of 1 1/2 lemons in the bottom of a large, shallow bowl. Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, parsley, mint, celery, olives, and the reserved bread. Add the 1/4 cup of EVOO and lots of salt and coarse black pepper, then toss the salad with your hands to combine well.

Grill the shrimp on the screaming hot grill pan or outdoor grill. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until pink and firm. Transfer to a plate and top with the juice of the remaining 1/2 lemon.

Pile the salad into large, shallow bowls and top with the grilled shrimp and wedges of feta.

4 SERVINGS

I've been busy for a few days combined with our Internet being down, so sorry about the lack of posts for the last few days. I really liked the Greed Bread Salad, but maybe next time I'd go a little lighter on the herbs (parsley and mint). My DH didn't like anything but the bread, shrimp, and cheese. These are all his least favorite vegetables :(. I used a yellow onion because I ran out of red ones. I cooked everything in a regular skillet, but it turned out just fine. Rachael Ray says: "If you don't groove on the shrimp, use 1 1/2 pounds of chicken tenders, 20 large sea scallops, or even 8 pieces of calamari, 2 per person, and grill in the shrimps' place."