Tomato Basil And Greek Feta Salad. “Dakos.” ©

 

 

 

‘Dakos,’ is a well known Meze or light meal in Greece, originating from the island of Crete. It is the most wonderful combination of fresh summer tomatoes, onions basil and crumbled Greek feta cheese, served on a Cretan rusk drizzled with olive oil.

Here I have tossed the salad in a tasty vinaigrette dressing and assembled it  in a round mold, so it turns out into a spherical shape.

It is very easy to make and can be eaten as a starter, or ‘mini’ ones can be made and served as part of a Meze.

It is best made no more than an hour before eating, freshness is the essence.

 

 

Easy

 

1-2 persons

 

Time to prepare: 1/2 an hour

 

 

Ingredients For one large ‘Dakos’

2 tomatoes

1 Cretan whole wheat rusk

3-4 tbs crumbled Greek Feta

1 small onion diced

2-3 tbs chopped basil

2 tbs strong ‘Vinaigrette’ see below

Chopped Kalamata Olives

1 tbs olive oil

1 small fresh red seedless chilli pepper, finely sliced (optional)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Sprigs of basil to garnish

 

Vinaigrette Dressing

1 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tbs “Dijon” mustard

1 tbs vinegar

2 tbs olive oil

Method

1. Slice and cube your tomatoes into 1cm X 1cm. Sprinkle with a little salt and place in sieve to drain for five minutes. The salt makes the excess water come out of the tomato.

2. Dice onion finely.

3. Make up thick vinaigrette dressing.

4. In a separate bowl, crumble your feta cheese.

5. Choose a small rounded bowl which will fit your salad, feta and rusk. (See photo.) My bowl is about 14 cm in diameter and 7 cm deep. The bowl will act as a mold to assemble your salad, which you will then turn out, just before serving onto your serving plate.

6. First oil the inside of your bowl with a little olive oil. Ten minutes before serving, chop basil, mix together with tomatoes, chopped Kalamata Olives and Vinaigrette dressing.

7. Place salad in bowl, flatten on top add crumbled feta cheese.

8. Take your rusk and sprinkle two or three times with water on both sides.The water softens the rusk. Now drizzle cut side with olive oil and place cut side downwards on feta. Press down a little.

9. When you are ready to serve, turn out on serving plate and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

 

Choose nice summer tomatoes and use plenty of ‘fresh’ basil.

Buy genuine Cretan rusks if possible.

These rusks come in halves.

Choose a suitable bowl for an individual portion, in which your rusk will fit. 14 cm diameter, 7 cm deep approximately in this case, if your rusks are smaller, you can use a smaller bowl.

Mix up a thick Vinaigrette dressing. Balsamic vinegar goes well.

After cubing tomatoes and draining them with a little salt in a sieve, dice onions and a little before serving chop basil.

Any earlier and it will discolour!

When ready to assemble mix together your salad with your vinaigrette.

Crumble your feta cheese.

Oil your bowl with a little olive oil and fill first with your tomato mixture. Then add crumbled feta.

Sprinkle with a little sliced chilli pepper if liked. Finally place  your rusk on top, which you have sprinkled with water and drizzled with olive oil.You can be quite generous with the water so that the rusk is not too hard. Press the rusk down lightly.

Place serving plate on top of bowl and turn out, giving a sharp knock on your counter.

Final result. Light, fresh and full of summer flavours!