Cretan Salad

Cretan Salad. Before the burgers & the souvlakia take over Cretan diet used to be the epitome of the Mediterranean diet. Countless studies have shown that nutrition based on the Cretan palette of cooking ingredients can contribute a great deal to a life relieved from obesity & health problems linked to our eating habits. One of the pillars of the Cretan diet is the delicious Cretan salad. A variation of the world-famous Greek salad, this is for many Greeks, not just Cretans an improvement of it.

Chopped onions, fresh tomatoes, and cucumbers, fresh peppers, dill & parsley, some Cretan purslane , the creamy fresh cheese of mizithra, some Cretan olives, a few caper seeds, oregano with sea salt & you’re almost set. Almost..The omnipresent paximádi rusk must be there as well after it is softened with a dash of water & always present as well a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil accompanied by some balsamic vinegar. This apotheosis of simplicity will make your mouth dance to the rhythm of the Cretan “syrto” music. Many variations can be found depending on whatever the home garden can provide.