Last summer Living the Gourmet had the pleasure of participating in the blog tour for It's All Greek to Me: Transform Your Health the Mediterranean Way with My Family's Century-Old Recipes
Throughout It's All Greek to Me, the reader is not only introduced to a host of traditional Greek and Greece-inspired recipes, but is instead taken on a journey through Greece with the author. Along with pleasant anecdotes, local history, and heartfelt family stories, the cookbook is peppered throughout with photos of rolling Greek landscapes, busy markets, and iconic blue-white coastlines. The view Debbie gives of Greece, while touristic in nature, is one that strikes a much closer, more intimate note, a view of modern Greece rarely given to outsiders. She approaches Greek tradition with an obvious familiarity, introducing the reader to Greek culture as one who has lived it, rather than learning along with her audience as is so common.
Today we are celebrating the #OneYrGreek Anniversary blog tour and sharing Dakos (DAH-kohs) Greek Bruschetta.
This is a traditional mezze salad from the island of Crete. In Greece, this salad is served atop a barley rusk, called a paximadi. A rusk is just a form of hard bread that has been twice-baked to achieve crispness. You usually can find barley rusks in Mediterranean specialty shops or other gourmet markets. Choose very ripe, almost overly so, tomatoes so that their juice will really soak into the rusk beneath them. To make this vegan, just add another tomato and omit the feta.
Dakos (DAH-kohs) Greek Bruschetta
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
- 1 large barley rusk, about 7 inches or so in diameter
- Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
- 2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, cored and diced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound brine-packed Greek feta, crumbled small
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
Instructions
- Lightly brush the flat top of the rusk with some of the olive oil. Mound the diced tomatoes on top and season them with nearly all of the salt and pepper, reserving about 1/8 teaspoon of each. Layer the feta on top of the tomatoes and evenly sprinkle the dill, oregano, and remaining salt and pepper on top of the cheese. Finally, drizzle olive oil to taste over the top and serve family style.
Notes
Debbie’s Tip: Can’t find a barley rusk? No problem! Simply buy a large round loaf of crusty, bakery-fresh bread and slice it in half horizontally. If serving on a plate instead of in a bowl, cut a thin slice off the top half so that it will sit flat on the plate without tipping over. Brush the cut side of the top half with olive oil. Set the bottom half aside for another use. Toast on a baking sheet in a 400-degree oven until very crispy and golden, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. To make the bread extra crispy, turn on the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes and crack the oven door slightly. Again, watch carefully because your bread can go from golden to charcoal in 10 seconds flat.
Thank you for joining us. Take a look back and see our original post where we feature an interview with Debbie, an overview of It's All Greek To Me and a delicious recipe for Chicken Souvlaki & Orzo.
Enjoy with Love,
Catherine
xo
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says
Holy moly - these pictures are so pretty and I'm drooling for this bruschetta. I love the toasty bread with juicy tomatoes and fresh feta on top!
Katerina says
Since I am Greek I love Dakos and these ones look very tasty! One tip for those who will go for the real barley rusk. Before adding anything to it, it is very important to drizzle some water to soften the rusk otherwise it will be very hard to eat!
Big Daddy Dave says
Catherine, My wife and I both love bruschetta but we've never had a Greek version... This looks and sounds great! Thanks and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Ginny Hartzler says
I recently watched a show on CNN (The Wonder List, it is wonderful, tape it if you can) and Bill Weir visited Greece. Certain parts of it where people live to a very old age. I have always wanted to go to Patmos or one of the other islands. This looks delicious and healthy. I know Debbie Matenopolis!I have seen her on T.V. a lot. and did not know she has written a cookbook!
David @ Spiced says
This looks incredible! I love bruschetta, and this Greek version takes it to a whole new level thanks to the feta and dill. I'm pretty sure I could eat feta in bulk! I'm thinking this Dakos would be a great appetizer to serve on the back deck this summer!
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
I love all things Greek. I can't believe I have not yet thought of Greek Bruschetta. YUM!
Abigail says
Feta cheese and fresh dill - I'm sold! Pinned and yummed for future reference. 🙂
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
That looks So good. Anything with feta makes me happy.
manu says
This bruschetta is perfect!!
xox
Arman @ thebigmansworld says
I am obsessed with Greek food so excited to follow this Greek journey!
The bruschetta looks delicious!