As you’ve probably noticed by now, I go a little bit crazy over salads during summer. I can’t get enough of them! They’re super easy to make, beautiful, colourful, delicious, refreshing.. Plus, there’s nothing we could possibly crave for more, on extremely hot summer days.

Summer is slowly coming to an end and I think that vegetables taste even better now, as if the strong summer sunlight gave them a more intense, deep flavour. They’re sweeter, more aromatic, filled with colour! And obviously, just like every summer, there’s nothing juicier, nothing more sought-after than the famous Greek tomato!

This year, I started gathering a list of a few variations of our beloved “horiatiki” salad. I thought it would be a great idea to make and share with you some of my all-time favourites, the ones that are usually part of our summer menus. Some are so simple that a recipe would be completely unnecessary. As I was picking the ones that are worth sharing, in my opinion, I found out that my list would be so much longer than what I had anticipated!

Choosing the ingredients for a salad can be such a creative process. But what’s also very interesting and fun is the fact that ingredients may vary depending on the range of local goods each area has to offer. Thus, each salad has a unique character, flavour and, of course, appearance.

When travelling, I love coming home with bags filled with local goods, local cheeses, wild capers from Tinos, kopanisti cheese, Cretan rusks, sea salt.. I feel like all these flavours help me keep the summer mood alive!

Today, I’m making another extremely good-looking salad! “Horiatiki” with feta mousse and carob rusks! Carobs -that remained on the sidelines for too long- have now made a powerful comeback and are considered a superfood! Carob seeds in Greece are mainly found in Crete and have saved entire villages from starvation during wartime. It took a long while for us to rediscover this treasure and appreciate its nutritional value which, according to nutritionists, is very, very high. Carobs are rich in protein, carbs, calcium, iron and the list goes on. They have a mild, sweet flavour, quite similar to the taste of chocolate. Carob flour can even be confused with cocoa!

I love making cookies with carob flour, it really gives my cookies a chocolate flavour without actually using any chocolate. I also use it in cereal bars, cakes etc. Another byproduct I love using is carob honey. It’s quite similar to black treacle and experts consider it to be very important for its healing properties. It’s perfect for your cereal in the morning or as a sweetener in your salad dressings.

Regardless of how you choose to use carob, it’s definitely beneficial for your health. You can always start with the recipe we’re making today, and don’t forget to be generous with the quantities of carob rusks, they’re perfect for this salad!