It’s July and it’s officially summer in Europe.
As we get closer to the hottest month in Greece (August), it is time to take advantage of the fresh fruits and vegetables we have at hand. The summer months are when Greece is most busy when tourists come from all over the world to visit the beautiful islands and tan by the crystal clear beaches.
Picture your next holiday in Crete, the largest island in Greece, where you can roam atmospheric Chania or kick back on the white sands of Elafonisa.
Your itinerary will be filled with history, soaking up the vitamin D, viewpoints, beaches and food.
But for now, if you are unable to travel, the least you can do is bring a taste of Crete to your table, taking your your taste buds on an adventure.
A visit to Crete is anything but dull, your eyes will feast on blue skies and crystal clear waters, whilst your stomach will indulge in all the fresh fruits, vegetables and traditional dishes the island has to offer.
When exploring the culinary scene in Crete, there are more options than your eyes can see and your stomach can handle.
Crete has many traditional foods which include:
- Cretan cheeses
- Dakos/Cretan Salad
- Sarikopitakia - Cheese Pie
- Kalitsounia - Cheese Pie
- Lamb Stamnankáthi - One of the most popular meats to eat on the island is lamb.
However, on a hot summer's day, when you are craving something refreshing and light the best option is to go for a salad.
But not just any salad will hit the spot like a Dakos salad. This is an authentic Cretan salad that features a crunchy rusk, olive oil, chopped tomatoes and cheese.
Dakos is very similar to Italian bruschetta and uses many similar ingredients.
This recipe is almost too simple to not take advantage of on a hot summer day. It can be made from start to finish in 10 minutes and will surely impress any guests or loved ones you invite over for a meal this summer.
The below recipe will only take a few ingredients and a few moments of your time but is bursting with flavour and will definitely become a staple in your home.
Below is the recipe to make Cretan Dakos in the comfort of your home. We hope you enjoy.
Traditional Cretan Dakos Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 slices of toasted thick whole grain bread (or Cretan barley rusks if you happen to have them on hand)
- 4 Medium sized tomatoes grated (they can be chopped but generally restaurants will grate the tomatoes)
- ¼-⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 ounces feta cheese crumbled
- Dried oregano
- Optional: olives for garnish
Method:
- Toast all slices of bread.
- Grate or chop all of the tomatoes and drain all liquid.
- Add between half to one tablespoon of olive oil to each toasted slice of bread and allow the bread to soak up all of the oil. If required add more olive oil.
- Add the tomatoes on top of the bread spreading equally on each slice.
- Add the crumbled cheese.
- Drizzle with a little more olive oil (we can’t begin to explain how much we love our olive oil in Greece), sprinkle oregano and garnish with an olive for decoration.
This simple salad is perfect for those searching for something light as well as for those who want to take their palate on a journey through the culinary scene in Crete.
With access to travelling slowly easing, whilst you wait to book your next ticket to Crete, you can bring Crete to your table with this traditional Dakos Salad recipe.
It is time to start toasting bread and chopping tomatoes, the weather in Europe is not going to get cooler anytime soon!
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