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Papaya, Cucumber and Feta Salad
Papaya and feta cheese is not your ordinary combination, but mixed with cucumber and cured Greek olives this recipe creates a beautiful and delicious salad. The mild sweetness of the papaya with the saltiness of the feta and olives blend perfectly. This is a fresh and unexpected salad perfect for a party or BBQ. Plan ahead because papaya's take a few days to fully ripen. Best eaten the day it is made. This recipe is slightly adapted from The Inspired Vegetarian by Louise Pickford, 1992
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Ginger
Ingredients
Salad
  • 1 cup / 4 oz / 125 g feta cheese crumbled
  • 1 large cucumber (about 14 oz / 400 g) peeled, seeds removed and chopped
  • 1 TB chopped fresh dill
  • 2 tsp fresh mint chiffonade
  • 1 large about 2 lbs 11 oz / 1 K 225 g) papaya
  • Shy 1/4 cup / 1 oz / 28 g pitted black Greek olives sliced thin
Salad Dressing
  • 1 TB extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 TB lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic crushed
  • Pinch of ground chili pepper
Instructions
Make the salad dressing
  1. In a small bowl, blend together the salad dressing ingredients until well incorporated.
Make the salad
  1. In a medium bowl mix together the chopped cucumber, crumbled feta cheese and fresh dill and mint. Add two thirds of the salad dressing, about 2 tablespoons (38 g) to the feta and cucumber and mix. Cover the salad with plastic wrap and let the cucumbers and feta cheese marinate at room temperature for a couple of hours. About a half hour before you want to display the salad or eat, peel the papaya, cut it in half, then remove the seeds. Cut the papaya into bite size chunks. The papaya can be peeled and chopped in advance, but not too long for it to get soggy. Pour the remaining salad dressing over the papaya and mix. Arrange the papaya around the interior rim of your serving platter, then add the cucumber and feta mixture in the middle. Sprinkle with sliced olives and more fresh mint.
  2. Serve
  3. Papaya cucumber salad is best eaten the day it is made. Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator, in a sealed container for 24 hours.
Recipe Notes

Papaya is ripe when the skin is yellow and the flesh is somewhat soft. If you cannot find papaya in your store, ripe cantaloupe or watermelon are great substitutes. You may or may not want to add the olives with the watermelon.