Cretan Dakos Tomato Salad

This recipe is similar to “bread salad”. It serves 4-5 people and is filled with fresh, Mediterranean flavors.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes halved
• 4-5 barley or rye rusks – if not available, choose a hardy bread that has been toasted until stiff and hard
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• ½ cup farmer cheese – if not available, whipped cream cheese, ricotta or small curd cottage cheese
• Olive oil
• Oregano
• Garlic Salt
• Black pepper
• Basil, parsley, mint, dill – to taste
• Optional Hot pepper flakes or hot sauce
• Optional Capers or chopped olives

PREPARATION

Place your halved cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. Add a teaspoon each of garlic salt, black pepper and oregano, to tomatoes and mix thoroughly. Set tomatoes aside and allow to macerate for 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

In a separate bowl, add 1 cup crumbled feta cheese and ½ cup farmer cheese (or similar). Add 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes or 1 tablespoon hot sauce, and ½ teaspoon of oregano to the cheese mixture and stir.

On a large serving platter, crumble the rusks (or dried bread) into bite size pieces. Spoon the tomato mixture evenly across the crumbled rusks. Be sure to add the juice from the tomato bowl – the liquid will help to soften the rusks. Liberally drizzle olive oil over the dish of tomatoes and rusks, approximately 3 tablespoons. Next spoon the cheese mixture evenly across the tomatoes.

Chop fresh herbs (basil, parsley, mint, dill) and spread across cheese mixture. Use a slotted spoon to place capers or olives on top to taste. Garnish with a sprig of herbs. Allow rusks to soften in tomato juice for about 15-20 minutes prior to serving.