Summer and salads go hand in hand, of course. Make a classic Greek salad with great tomatoes, red onion, green peppers, cucumbers, Santorini capers, throumbes and Greek oregano. Season it with sea salt and toss it with a generous amount of extra-virgin Greek olive oil. Toss in some rusks to make the salad stand on its own as a filling but light main course.

But beyond the classic Greek salad, olive oil is a great base for all sorts of other dressings for all manner of quick and easy salads. My favs include tangy Greek lemon vinaigrette, 1 part lemon, 3 parts olive oil, any wild Greek herb of choice and a teaspoon or two of mustard, honey and even some crumbled feta cheese for extra creaminess. Drizzle this over arugula or lettuce salads, boiled red and/or yellow beets, or potatoes, for a healthier alternative to mayo.

Drizzle extra virgin Greek olive oil over grilled fish and seafood, and season with a bit of Greek sea salt and wild oregano. All manner of fish and seafood taste great with a drizzling of olive oil. You can even try it over steamed or grilled lobster instead of butter.

Olive oil marinades are a carte blanche for anything your imagination can conjure up and the perfect way to make grilled meats and seafood even tastier. Start with one of my basic extra virgin Greek olive oils and add mustard, honey, grape molasses, orange, lemon or lime juice, ginger, garlic, balsamic, wild Greek herbs, sea salt, pepper, chiles….that’s right, you name it, and olive oil will carry the flavor and enhance almost anything you choose to marinate. Save some and use it to brush over whatever is sizzling as you grill!

Use any of our extra-virgin Greek olive oils as the go-to oil for the barbecue, whether your grilling corn on the cob, steak, or even fruit. Then, drizzle some over the finished dish for moisture, flavor and that singular “umami” craveable quality that olive oil bestows.

All you need is an onion or two, a few garlic cloves and to slowly cook them in olive oil before adding any of the classic summer veggies, from fresh green beans to eggplant to okra to peppers and more. A little fresh tomato, salt, pepper, and any herb(s) of choice. Add some water for moisture and simmer slowly. This is the foundation of Greek “ladera,” or olive-oil based dishes, and the best are made in summer when vegetables are at their peak flavor. Serve at room temperature and dress with a drizzling of extra virgin Greek olive oil, the way we Greeks do!.