Ingredients

Method

• 2 slices sourdough bread, cut into small squares
• 7 T extra virgin olive oil
• 500 g watermelon , cut into small bite-sized pieces, seeds removed
• 10 black Greek olives, pitted
• 1 small cucumber, sliced lengthways and then across into thin half-moon pieces
• 1 handful purslane (if available) or rocket leaves, roughly chopped
• 200 g feta, cut into medium-sized cubes
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Spread the sourdough croutons onto a baking tray, drizzle with 2 T olive oil and bake in the oven until golden – this should take around 10 minutes.

2. Put all the remaining ingredients, apart from the feta, in a bowl and mix gently. Season to taste.

3. Just before you serve the salad, put the feta on a lined baking tray and place under a hot grill for a minute or two, until it slightly colours at the edges. Add the hot feta and toasted sourdough to the bowl and give the salad a final mix before serving.

Cook's note: Sometimes I feel this salad needs a touch of sweet vinegar and at other times I feel it’s perfect with the oil, salt and pepper. I think all this depends on the acidity of the feta and the sweetness of the watermelon. If you think you need it to be sharper, then add a splash of good-quality vinegar.

Find more salad recipe here. 

Photographs: Elena Heatherwick

Marianna Leivaditaki is the head chef at Morito on Hackney Road in London. Her cookbook, Aegean – Recipes from the Mountains to the Sea, is published by Kyle Books and distributed in SA by Jonathan Ball Publishers. R620, octopusbooks.co.uk