Cook: Marinated Feta Cheese Salad

The NYT Cooking section always delivers when it comes to cooking outside of the box. This recipe is called their Breakfast Salad because it features a salad presented as a fancy brunch item. The original recipe calls for the lettuce to be served whole so that you break it apart and eat it with your fingers, but I like to chop it and eat it like a normal salad. I particularly like the marinated feta, it could be used for many things in addition to a salad topping. A great way to serve it would be with the sourdough bread and some fresh cucumber and tomato slices on top, with Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Ingredients:

Marinated Feta - Make this a day before so it can marinate overnight, or at least for a couple of hours. Place the feta in a container, add the peppercorns, garlic and olive oil so it covers the top. Refrigerate overnight.

  • Half a block of feta cheese (slice it so the marinade can penetrate all the layers of the cheese)

  • Whole black peppercorns

  • 3-4 garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)

  • Good quality olive oil

Salad

  • Romaine lettuce

  • Persian cucumbers (sliced)

  • Hard boiled eggs (cut in half)

  • Avocado (sliced)

  • Sprouts or pea shoots

  • Black olives (this is not in the original recipe, but it adds great flavor)

  • Herb mix (find the herbs you like best and chop them up for garnish)

  • Sourdough bread (toasted - optional)

Dressing - The original recipe just has you squirt some lemon on top but I like to make a simple vinaigrette.

  • Shallot (thinly sliced)

  • Olive oil

  • Balsamic or red wine vinegar

  • Lemon

Directions:

  • Slice the shallot and let it soak in red wine vinegar for about 15 minutes (this will help cut some of the sharpness of the shallot out - the fancy term for this is maceration)

  • Mix the shallot with olive oil and vinegar of your choice.

  • Add in the juice of half a lemon, save the other half to sprinkle on top of the salad at the very end.

  • Wash and dry the lettuce thoroughly, add a thin layer of your vinaigrette.

  • Arrange the rest of your toppings on top of the lettuce, crumbling the feta on last.

  • Top with the vinaigrette and fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper and herbs.

  • Serve with warm sourdough bread.

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