Dako, Cretan Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Green Apples & Herbs
Rusks are an ancient food in Greece. Basically they are the twice-baked breads, in various shapes. A dearth of fuel, i.e. wood, made daily, or even weekly, baking almost extravagant in the Greek countryside. To find some of the artisinal Greek products you'll need to make this, visit my online shop here, where you'll discover a host of lovingly curated Greek ingredients.
PREP TIME 10 minutes
SERVES 2
Ingredients
- 2 Cretan barley rusks preferably round
- 1 small Granny Smith or other tart apple preferably organic, grated on the coarse side of a hand grater
- 2 teaspoons plus ⅓ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
- 1/2 celery stalk trimmed and cut into thin crescents
- 1 cup red and/or yellow teardrop or cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 tablespoon rinsed and drained capers
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup crumbled feta Cretan xinomyzithra cheese, or a combination of crumbled feta and fresh ricotta or anthotyro cheeses
Instructions
-
Run the rusks under cold water. Hold vertically to let the last drop of water drain off. Place each rusk on individual serving plates or on a platter large enough to hold them.
-
Grate the apple and set aside.
-
In a mixing bowl, combine the grated apple, celery, tomato halves, mint, capers, salt and remaining olive oil and toss gently.
-
Mound the mixture in equal parts over each of the rusks. Spoon the crumbled cheese or cheeses on top. Garnish, if desired, with a mint leaf, and serve.
Notes
You can find a selection of Greek rusks (called paximadia), as well as capers, dried herbs, olive oils and more delicious Greek artisanal foods at my online store.