Nothing tastes more like summer than the divine Cretan dakos, a simple dish that brings together some of the best Cretan products, and is incredibly tasty and healthy at the same time!

When you visit Crete you will probably taste many delicious dishes, some of which will be difficult to replicate off the island, but Cretan dakos can be easily prepared with ingredients you can find back home, with the exemption, perhaps, of the most basic ingredient: the Cretan rusk! So, make sure you buy a package of good quality Cretan rusks before you leave the island, preferably made of whole grain barley, and you are good to go!

What you need: 1-2 Cretan rusks (preferably round-shaped), trimmed fresh tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, Cretan white cheese (athoriro or mizithra) or feta cheese, a pinch of salt and oregano.

How to make it: first, check how hard your rusks are, as you might need to moisten them with some water before you start. If the rusks are not too hard, they will get softer naturally from the juices of the topping. Place the rusks in a large dish and sprinkle with some olive oil. Next, place the trimmed tomatoes and some salt on top of the rusks, followed by the Cretan white cheese or feta. Finally, sprinkle the cheese with oregano, and add some extra olive oil on top. Serve with Cretan olives.

The secret of this recipe is to let all the juices from the topping moist the rusk, making it crispy and delicious.

Cretan dakos is often served as a salad, a side dish, or as a light meal and you can experiment with other toppings, such as caper or avocado spread.