Cooking With Our Guests, Greek Recipes, Vikki Kassioras
Vikki’s Cretan Dakos Salad – Greek Barley Rusk, Tomato and Feta Salad Recipe
KO’s very first Food X Art video features contemporary jeweller Vikki Kassioras sharing a family recipe; a simple and delicious Dakos Salad and immediately following she shares the story of her creative journey. She reflects on how she came to be a jewellery artist; the inspirations for her work, her cultural identity and how it has informed her work… and so much more!
Watch now and be inspired to make this delicious summer salad and nurture your appreciation for the soul and artistry of handcrafted jewellery, through Vikki’s evocative narrative!
Vikki’s Dakos Salad - Greek Feta and Tomato Salad Recipe
Dakos Salad is a simple preparation made with a handful of ingredients, that come together for an amazing eating experience. Cretan barley rusks piled with freshly-grated ripe tomatoes and salty-creamy feta cheese; and seasoned with salt, pepper, dried oregano and generously drizzled with extra virgin olive oil - summer fare at its best!
Ingredients
For the Dakos Salad you will need…
- Bowl of water
- 5 small Cretan barley rusks
- 2-3 very ripe medium sized tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil EVOO
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- Dried oregano
- Feta
Instructions
Preparing the Dakos Salad
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Briefly dip the barley rusks into the water and then place on a serving dish
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Drizzle generously with EVOO
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Sprinkle with sea salt, oregano and ground black pepper
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Cut the tomatoes in half and using a coarse grater, grate the flesh from each half
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Spoon 1 ½ soupspoons of grated tomato flesh on top of the seasoned rusks
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Season with more salt and ground pepper
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Drizzle generously again with EVOO
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Add crumbled feta on top
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Sprinkle with more oregano
Serving the Dakos Salad
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Serve and enjoy!
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Serves 3-5
Recipe Video
Key Points
- Fresh, ripe, summer tomatoes are best for this preparation, but you can use store bought tomatoes too. Purchase tomatoes with a dark red hue and do not refrigerate them (ever!!!!). If they are not ready to use immediately, allow them to sit out for a few days to ripen a bit
- You can use fresh ricotta or a slice of pan-fried haloumi instead of feta in this preparation
- Mini Cretan barley rusks (rather than the larger rusks) were used in this recipe to provide the right textural balance between the rusk, the tomato puree and the feta cheese. Cretan barley rusks are readily available from your city’s Greek delicatessen(s). Otherwise you can buy them online or make your own, using the recipe from another wonderful foodie, Magdalini at http://mylittleexpatkitchen.blogspot.com/2013/10/greek-barley-bread.html