Marinated Courgettes

500g small courgettes finely sliced, coarsley chopped or grated
3 tablespoons of olive oil
juice of at least half a lemon
two garlic cloves cut in half
salt and pepper
small bunch of parsley finely chopped

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and leave to marinate for a day. Remove the garlic and add the parsley before serving. Can we get young enought courgettes in Japan?

Greek country salad

Serves four
Three firm ripe tomatoes cut in wedges
Half a small cucumber - peeled, split in half and then thinly sliced (may not be necessary for Japanese cucumber)
1 green pepper - thinly sliced in rings
1 mild onion (red?) thinly sliced in rings
salt and pepper
four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

For garnish:
150g of feta cheese
12 or more black olives
bunch of parsley finely chopped
1 teaspoon of dried oregano or marjoram

Put in bowl, sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil and toss well. Arrange with black olives, feta etc on top. Good for using black olives.

Cucumber and yogurt salad

450 ml of yogurt - thick or strained ewes milk best
1 large cucumber thinly sliced or finely chopped
Salt and white pepper
1-4 garlic cloves crushed - according to taste
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
fresh mint or dill - fews sprigs
1 tablespoon of dried mint
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil as garnish

Salt the cucumber and leave in a colander to allow liquid to drain away. Beat the yogurt and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Dribble the olive oil on top.

Avocado and Citrus Salad

For four to six
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 ripe but firm avocado pears
1 orange
1 grapefruit
Mint leaves for garnish

Prepare avocados - one may be OK & useful to use ones that are not so soft. Peel orange and grapefruits and remove the pith from each segment (grapefruit - can cut in half and then cut out segments - may be more difficult with orange - ruby looks good). Prepare the vinagrette.