Greek Salad

Ingredients

• 4 large ripe tomatoes (about 600g), cut into wedges
• 1 cucumber (about 300g), peeled and sliced into thick half-moons
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into rings
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced into rings
• 200g Greek feta cheese, in one block
• 150g Kalamata olives, unpitted
• 2 tsp dried oregano (Greek oregano if possible)
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil (use the best quality you can find)
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. This is crucial: authentic Greek salad (Horiatiki) has no lettuce whatsoever. It's a common misconception abroad, but in Greece, you'll never find lettuce in a proper village salad. The vegetables should be chunky and robust, not finely chopped.

2. Choose ripe, flavourful tomatoes - this is the star ingredient. Cut them into generous wedges, about 6-8 pieces per tomato. If your tomatoes aren't perfectly ripe, add a tiny pinch of sugar to enhance their natural sweetness.

3. Peel the cucumber (Greeks always peel it for salad) and slice into thick half-moon pieces, about 1cm thick. The skin can be bitter and tough, so removing it gives a better texture and flavour.

4. Cut the green pepper into rings about 5mm thick, removing all seeds and white membrane. The pepper adds a lovely crunch and slight bitterness that balances the sweet tomatoes.

5. Slice the red onion into thin rings and separate them. If you find raw onion too sharp, you can soak the rings in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry - this removes some of the harshness whilst keeping the flavour.

6. Arrange the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, and onion on a large serving platter or in a wide, shallow bowl. Don't toss them together - a proper Greek salad is artfully arranged, not mixed. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

7. Place the entire block of feta cheese in the centre of the salad. Never crumble it beforehand - serving it as a whole block is the traditional way. Diners can break off pieces as they eat. Scatter the Kalamata olives over the top - use unpitted olives for authenticity, as they have much better flavour.

8. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil generously over everything - don't be shy, Greek salad is meant to be quite oily. The oil pools at the bottom and mingles with the tomato juices to create a delicious dressing. Sprinkle the dried oregano over the entire salad, concentrating some on the feta block.

9. Serve immediately with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the delicious juices at the bottom of the bowl. Some Greeks add a splash of red wine vinegar, but traditionally it's just olive oil and oregano. The salad is best eaten within 30 minutes of making it, whilst the vegetables are still crisp and haven't released too much water. Perfect alongside grilled meats, fish, or as part of a mezze spread.