HOSTED | By Ink – Italian Dinner Party Edition
If you haven’t seen this salad yet, prepare to become that host. It’s chic, it’s fresh, it looks like a design object. We made it with low expectations on the taste - honestly, we were just including it in the menu for the vibes. But it actually tasted incredible as well.
Introducing: the checkerboard salad. Cubed cucumber and fetta, dressed with a balsamic-honey vinaigrette, all arranged neatly on a silver tray like the fashion week of appetisers.
Here’s how to make it:
You’ll need:
– 2 large Lebanese cucumber, roughly the same size
– 1 block of creamy Danish-style fetta (not crumbly)
– A handful of mint leaves
– 2 tbsp good quality olive oil
– 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
– 1 tsp honey
– Cracked black pepper
– Sea salt (just a little)
How to:
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Peel and cube the cucumber into bite-sized squares. Same with the fetta – aim to keep them roughly uniform so they sit pretty together. Use a big, sharp knife, and go slowly.
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Arrange in a checkerboard pattern (cucumber, fetta, cucumber, fetta...) on a tray or shallow plate.
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In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic, honey, a generous grind of pepper, and a pinch of salt.
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Drizzle the dressing evenly over the checkerboard.
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Garnish the sides with mint leaves – don’t overdo it. This is a statement salad, not a herb garden.
Hot tip:
Make this one in advance and pop it in the fridge. It’s a bit fiddly, so give yourself time – and letting it sit means the cucumber soaks up all that delicious dressing. It gets better by the hour.
Serve with crusty bread and a chilled negroni (obviously).
