The Village Salad

This Greek classic is a study in balance: sweetness from ripe tomatoes, freshness and crunch from cucumber, acid from Kalamata olives and briny Arahova feta.  Simply finished with a high quality, PDO-level olive oil (we love olive oils from Crete and Kalamata in particular), it's an ode to summer and the perfect way to start a meal.

Ingredients

• 2 Tomatoes, Quartered  we prefer Lucky's heirlooms - never refrigerate 
• 1 Cucumber
• Quarter Red Onion, Sliced
• Handful Kalamata Olives  or Castlevetrano if you're team green
• Two Thick Slices Arahova Feta this is a barrel-aged, PDO feta aged for 90 days - find at Titan foods in Astoria
• Pinch Dried Oregano  use fresh for a more intense herbal flavor 
• Pinch Maldon Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil we love kritiko, ilada or spitiko
• Pinch Smoked Paprika

Method   

• Partially peel cucumber in stripes.  Cut off ends, cut in half, and scoop out seeds.  Chop hollowed out cucumber halves into roughly 1-inch pieces.
• Toss Tomato, Cucumber, Onion, Olives, Oregano and Olive Oil in a bowl
• Carefully plate salads, adding a small pinch of Maldon salt to tomatoes
• Top each salad with a thick slice of Feta, sprinkling Paprika on Feta 
• Eat with a knife and fork; pair with a glass of Santorini Assyrtiko