In our first week of trade a tall redhead in a long (fake) fur coat walked in, looked at the menu, asked loads of questions and ordered some food. She came back with her father, then with the boyfriend, then with some girlfriends, and each time ordered some more. Kim became a friend and this salad became her favorite. We made it for her birthday in March, as it works just as well with crunchy green winter tomatoes as it does with ripe red ones.
Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main
1 pita (here), cut in half to make two thin round pieces (not two thick half-moons!)
olive oil
1 head of Little Gem lettuce
large punnet (1½ cups) of mixed tomatoes (the idea here is to use a few varieties)
1 cup/150g feta
2 sprigs of fresh oregano, picked
2½ tsp za’atar
2 heaped tbsp fresh pomegranate seeds
1 clove of garlic
2 generous tbsp good olive oil (this salad is worth it)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (we use a Corinthian one)
¼ tsp sea salt
a pinch of black pepper
Peel the garlic and place it on a chopping board, then press down on it with the side of a knife until it is crushed but stays in one piece. Mix it together with the other dressing ingredients and allow to infuse for at least an hour at room temperature. Remove the garlic just before mixing the dressing with the salad; it is only there to give a slight hint of flavor that works well with the tomatoes.
Brush the pita pieces with a little oil and toast them until they’re lightly golden and crispy. You can grill them or use your toaster—just watch that they don’t burn. Break into bite-sized shards, but make sure they’re not too small.
Separate the lettuce into leaves and wash in cold water. Dry on a few sheets of paper towel or in a salad spinner. Cut the leaves into large strips.
Cut the tomatoes in two or three different ways (slices, wedges, chunks, dice) to give the salad some texture. The pieces should all be roughly bite-sized—not too small or they will become watery. Break the feta into chunks but try not to crumble it to a paste. All these preparations can be done up to an hour in advance.
When you are ready to serve, remove the garlic clove from the dressing. Take a large bowl, place the pita shards, lettuce, tomatoes, feta, oregano and za’atar in it, pour the dressing over and mix together. Serve on a large platter or individual plates and top with the pomegranate seeds.