I love to make up my own recipes. I was in the mood for a Greek salad with “substance.” That called for my famous Greek garbanzo bean concoction: a colorful celebration of nature’s most delicious flavors beautifully combined in a visual pallet that is sure to please the other pallet.  I opened my new jar of Calamata olives and popped one into my mouth. Ugh, they were not pitted! How was I going to make my Greek salad without Calamata olives? I was not! More importantly, how was I going to pit them?  Cutting them off the pit was not efficient. And then I noticed: when I smashed them, they naturally separated from the pit. Then I could squeeze the pit out one end. It was messy, but appeared to be the solution. As I stood smashing and squeezing, the juice ran freely through my fingers and onto my cutting board. The smell was heavenly Greek. When I was done, I chopped them so no one would ever know I smashed them.

Vibrant hues filled my glass bowl as I added bright yellow peperoncini, regal red peppers, stately green cucumbers, those deep purple olives, and finely chopped red onions to my pallid garbanzo beans. Next, the aromatic mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, basil, sea salt, and my favorite pepper blend. Oops, I almost forgot the Feta Cheese. Yum… it was calling my name! I stirred it all together with love and lifted my spoon to my lips.  Disappointment! It tasted like nothing special. In fact, I would say it didn’t taste like much of anything at all.  The secret ingredient of many good things is time. And, like fine wine, my gregarious Greek medley deserved a moment to merge, mingle and unite in melodious glory; time to transform – imbued with delightful new succulent flavors.

Ah, yes… a little time proved to be the answer! It was delicious.  As I looked at the beautiful salad I wondered if there was a way to imbue peace, harmony and unity in a world of many colors, races, religions, beliefs, and politics. Stirred with LOVE, maybe time will tell. That is my colorful Greek garbanzo bean prayer.