Greek Village Salad (Horiatiki)

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the tomatoes. Remove the stalk ends and cut the tomatoes into uneven wedges about 2–3 cm across. Put them in a large shallow bowl, keeping their juice; it becomes part of the dressing rather than being discarded.

2. 2

   Cut the remaining vegetables. Peel the cucumber in alternating strips if its skin is thick, then cut into 1 cm half-moons. Remove the pepper core and seeds and slice thinly. Cut the onion into very thin rings or half-rings.

3. 3

   Combine gently. Add cucumber, pepper, onion and olives to the tomatoes. Toss once with your hands or two broad spoons. Taste an olive and a small piece of feta before deciding how much extra salt is needed.

4. 4

   Dress the vegetables. Whisk olive oil with vinegar and half the oregano. Pour over the vegetables and fold gently. Leave for 5 minutes so tomato juice mixes with the dressing, without allowing the vegetables to become limp.

5. 5

   Add the cheese. Set the feta on top as one slab or several large pieces. Sprinkle with the remaining oregano. Keeping it on top stops it breaking down into a creamy coating over all the vegetables.

6. 6

   Serve. Spoon a little dressing over the feta and bring to the table promptly. Offer bread separately for the juices. Keep any remaining cheese refrigerated rather than leaving it out for a long, leisurely meal.