There’s nothing better than a plate of dakos in the summer. The dish takes its name from its main ingredient, the Cretan barley rusks. In this much-loved summer staple, wholesome barley rusks are topped with crushed tomatoes, salty feta cheese, briny capers and olives, aromatic dried oregano and, of course, plenty of olive oil. We always prepare dakos in the summer, when tomatoes are at their best. This summer is no exception.
This year, we follow the classic recipe, which you can find here, but serve dakos with pistachio pesto!
Serves 8
1 bag (280g) dakos barley rusks
1 bottle tomato passata or 700g tomatoes
½ jar of capers
½ tub of Kalamata olives
½ cup (approx. 150g) pistachio pesto
Olive oil (to taste)
Dried oregano (to taste)
100g feta cheese (or more, to taste; optional)
To moisten the rusks, place them under running water for a few seconds, or submerge in a bowl of water for a few seconds. Scatter your rusks in a large platter. Drizzle plenty of olive oil on top.
If using fresh tomatoes, finely chop them, ensuring that you keep all of their juices. Spread the tomatoes – or tomato passata – on top of the rusks.
Add dollops of pesto.
Sprinkle with capers, olives and crumbled feta cheese (if using). Sprinkle some dried oregano and drizzle some more olive oil.
