Based on a recipe of a salad from Vourla in Minor Asia
Traditionally this salad was served with marinated anchovies instead of cheese and chopped spearmint in the salad, without bread.
The sauce they used was olive oil, just as much as to “polish” the vegetables, and pomegranate syrup.
Serves 5 persons
1 large tomato (or two medium ) ripe but tight cut into moderate size cubes
a small cucumber thoroughly washed and cut into small cubes
one green pepper cut into small cubes
2 green onions, the green leaves only finely chopped
½ tea cup celery, the leaves only finely chopped
½ tea cup finely chopped purslane (use it in the summer) or chopped watercress if not found
1 tea cup bread cut in small cubes toasted in the oven
⅓ tea cup pitted green olives
1 or 2 grapefruit
100 gr “petroma” cheese from Tinos or Andros islands ( rather hard white cheese )
Cut left over bread (at least one day old ) into small cubes, coat it with olive oil and sprinkle it with oregano and paprika. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius until golden. When cold, it can be stored in a tin box for a long time.
Squeeze the grapefruit and marinate the olives in the juice for at least 8 hours or longer.
Mix all ingredients with ⅓ tea cup of the sauce (if necessary add a little more), salt and pepper, stir gently and serve with the cheese on top in pieces.
Put a little more sauce over the cheese.
Lemon and olive oil sauce
1 tea cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ tea cup lemon juice or ⅓ if not too sour
⅔ tea cup spearmint leaves washed and dried
Beat all ingredients in a blender to mix well
