Greek Tomato Salad
Recipe
Ingredients
2 heirloom tomatoes ( different colors )
For the Feta cheese mousse
200 gr feta cheese, crumbled into pieces
50 gr buttermilk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dry oregano
lemon zest
white pepper
For the Olive paste
300 gr Kalamata olives, pitted
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dry oregano
lemon zest
black pepper
For the pickled onions
1 white onion
50 ml water
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
2 tablespoons coarse salt
150 ml apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chili flakes
Instructions
For the Feta cheese mousse
1. In a food processor, add the feta cheese, the buttermilk, the olive oil, the oregano, and the pepper.
2. Beat until the mixture is homogenized and the feta cheese is dissolved.
3. Then, add the lemon zest and mix.
4. Season to taste, serve with fresh oregano, and sprinkle with pepper. Once you are done, place the feta cheese mousse in a bottle squeezer to serve it smoother and fancier.
For the Olive paste
1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor fitted with the blades and pulse until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.
2. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
3. Once you are done, place the olive paste in a bottle squeezer to serve it smoother and fancier.
For the pickled onions
1. The trick to making truly quick pickled onions is to slice the onions very thin, so they soften up and absorb the vinegar quickly. You can do this with a sharp chef’s knife or a mandoline.
2. Pack the onions into a 1-pint mason jar or similar heat-safe vessel. Place the jar in the sink to catch any splashes of hot vinegar later.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the water, the vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and chili flakes. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then carefully pour the mixture into the jar over the onions.
4. Use a butter knife or spoon to press the onions down into the vinegar and pop any air bubbles in the jar. Let the pickled onions cool to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes), at which point they should be sufficiently pickled for serving.
5. Cover and refrigerate leftover pickled onions for later. Quick-pickled onions are best consumed within three days, but they keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Assemble the plate
On a large and elegant plate, spread the tomatoes one next to the other in the shape of a rose (see the photo). With the bottle squeezer, gently put on top of the tomatoes little dots of the feta cheese mousse and the olive paste. Add some pickled onions (ideally with a kitchen tweezer), and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and dry oregano.
Enjoy!
