This is the number one salad eaten in Bulgaria. It is very simple – mix diced tomatoes, cucumber, red or green pepper, onion and sometimes olives, then top with grated sirene cheese, you could use feta or any crumbly, dry white cheese. Dress with olive oil and white wine vinegar. It’s the quality of the ingredients that really make any simple dish stand out. This salad is fresh, quick to make and can be eaten as a starter or as a side dish with fish or meat.

Don’t you want to eat this?

I believe that tomatoes are very good for you as they are full of Lycopene, an antioxidant that helps prevent heart disease and cancers. I’ve tried to grow tomatoes over the past few years but not really been that successful. Also at 80p per kilo from our local Turkish International Supermarket it costs more to grow them myself – well that is my excuse.