This is a delicious merging of the Greek and Italian classics. Key ingredients include ripe, juicy, sun-kissed tomatoes, bread and olive oil with vinegar to bring it all together. Feel free to embellish with additional veg or fruit (a hint of peach or a few raspberries, perhaps) and fresh herbs, or scale it back to its bare bones with just dressed tomatoes and bread.

Serves 4

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1kg tomato (try a mix of colours)

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Olive oil

2 slices pita bread or sourdough, stale or toasted

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

4 tbsp pitted olives or 2 tbsp capers (or a combination)

400g feta

Large handful of fresh herbs (such as dill, mint, basil, parsley, coriander, chervil and chives), finely chopped

1 Place the sliced onions in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Leave to soak and soften while
you make up the rest of the salad.

2 Slice the tomatoes (or halve if they’re cherry tomatoes). Sprinkle with a pinch of the fresh herbs (finely chopped) as well as a pinch of salt and pepper. Splash the vinegar over.

3 Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces – you can give it a quick flash in the oven to toast it gently first. Mix the bread through the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and arrange the mixture on a serving platter.

4 Tuck the cucumber slices into the mix, arranging evenly over the top.

5 Drain the onions and add them to the salad, along with the herbs. Gently fold through the mix and
dot the olive and/or capers on top.

6 Crumble the feta into bite-sized pieces and dot over the top. Season the salad with a good twist of black pepper and a last drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 24 hours (bringing to room temperature before serving).

This recipe is just one of the ideas from our September Home Economics pages, which is all about the mighty tomato. You can also learn how to make gazpacho, cherry tomato bombs, pan con tomate and fermented ketchup. The recipes are by Rachel de Thample and the photography is by Ali Allen.

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