Cretan Dakos Salad
Three versions of the classic Greek Dakos salad, super healthy barley rusks, topped with fresh seasonal produce and creamy local cheese
Print
Pin
Servings: people
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients for all Three Versions
- 4 Barely rusk halves
- 600 g tomatoes, melon (diced into small cubes) and peaches (cut into thin slices or cubed.
- 300 g feta, mizithra or soft cheese of your choice see notes
- 3 tbsp olive oil plus extra to drizzle
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Tomato version
- 1 small red onion - three quarters finely sliced and a quarter left to grate over the rusk
- 1 clove garlic optional
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano or one tsp dried or both
- 12 large caper berries or two tsp capers caper berries are the larger seed filled fruits - capers and the more common smaller unopened flower buds
Watermelon or Melon Version
- 2 tbsp fresh mint
- juice zest of a lemon
- approx 10-12 black or green olives
Peach Version
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
- 1-2 tsp pink peppercorn
- ½ lemon juiced
- pinch chilli flakes or cardamom or both
- 1-2 tbsp Greek yoghurt to make the whipped feta
Instructions
- Rub each of the four rusk halves with about a quarter of your chosen fruit - for the tomato version, first rub the rusk with the garlic clove and the quarter red onion.
- Toss the remaining fruit into a generous 2/3 tbsp of olive oil. Then, season the peaches with a bit of salt, along with pink peppercorns, chilli or cardamom, basil, and lemon juice. Season the melon with plenty of black pepper, mint, lemon zest. Season the tomatoes with salt and olive oil. You can also add a little vinegar. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly depending of the saltiness of your cheese.
- If you are using whipped feta for the peach version, in a mini mixer, whizz the feta with a tablespoon of yoghurt - add more yoghurt if you want it more creamy and a drizzle of olive oil. You can also add some more chilli flakes.
- Drizzle olive oil over the rusks, and add the fruity or tomatoey mixtures. Top with your preferred cheese - crumbled or spooned over the fruit.
- Decorate with pink peppercorns and basil for the peaches, olives for the watermelon and capers for the tomatoes. For the tomato dakos, you can add both dried oregano and decorate with fresh oregano or basil.
- One rusk (two halves) is usually enough for one person as a salad, but you may only need one half if serving as a starter. Serve with a green salad and extra oil for drizzling.
Notes
Dakos can often be piled high with cheese, which I feel spoils the flavours. This is a guide, but feel free to adapt it to your own taste.
