Feta and tomato salad with a basil vinaigrette

This salad was part of the meal with the pizza I made over the weekend. Feta cheese is a deliciously soft, white cheese with a tangy salty flavour. It is made from sheep / goat milk and Greek in origin.
I am not too much of a cheese person, but this one cheese I really like. Its really soft and crumbly and goes great in a salad, though I've used it on my pizza too !



Feta is pretty expensive here in India and available in select stores. I had this little pack that has been around for a while now and was waiting to use it in something really nice. I also had this unopened bottle of balsamic vinegar, so this was the day for all my 'gourmet' ingredients to get used !

The basil vinaigrette was a wonderful dressing on the salad. The flavour really enhanced the taste of the feta and the tomatoes. This is lovely salad for a lunch. Wish I had some bread around to soak up that remaining vinaigrette, it was really good.

What you need -

3 firm large tomatoes
100 gm feta cheese

For the basil vinaigrette

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
pinch of salt (really a pinch, because the feta is salty)
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp mustard sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup olive oil

What you do with it -

Blend all the ingredients listed under 'basil vinaigrette' except olive oil
Mix into the olive oil and stir in well
Chop the tomatoes into half and then quarters
Cut the feta cheese into little cubes
Place the tomato and feta in a bowl and pour the basil vinaigrette over it
Using a large spoon and mix in gently
Add more olive oil if required
Sprinkle a few basil leaves over it
Serve cold