Feta cheese with red onion and olives, heritage tomato salad

Don’t pack your salad spinner away just yet. Even though summer is just a memory, there's no reason why a lovely feta salad shouldn't continue well into the autumn in my book. This dish is very simple but yet so full of flavours and textures it works as one.

This recipe is one of my favourites. I hope you like it too.

Ingredients

1 pkt feta

I large red onion

100ml vinaigrette

1 pkt heritage tomatoes

1 bunch chives

1 pkt mixed salad leaves

olives

¼ baguette

olive oil

Method

Cut the feta into even-sized diced pieces, pop them into a bowl and put to the side. Peel and chop the red onions, and finely cut the olives in half. Chop the chives finely, then mix the feta, red onion and chives together in a bowl. (Gently add the vinaigrette just before serving).

Pick, wash and dry the salad leaves. Put the baguette into the freezer to firm up, when hard, slice thinly. Place the slices on a flat baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, place a sheet of greaseproof paper on top then on top of the greaseproof paper, place another baking tray – this keeps the crouton flat.

Cook in the oven at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Once golden brown and crisp take out.

Cut the tomatoes, some into slices and some into chunks, all the different colours and sizes of the tomatoes will make it look pretty on the plate.

Place the feta mix over the plate, place the tomato mix on top, then a little salad delicately on top of the tomato mix, covering the lettuce with the crouton then drizzle some leftover vinaigrette around the plate and serve.

Brian Maule at Chardon d’Or Restaurant, 176 West Regent St. Glasgow, G2 4RL, www.brianmaule.com