Couscous and lentil Greek salad

Bring a saucepan of water salted like pasta water to a boil, add the lentils and drop to a gentle simmer; cook them closer to beans than pasta so they don't go mushy. Set a timer for 10 minutes.

Cut the tomatoes through the belly into pieces and put them in the fine mesh sieve.

Cut the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces, lengthwise then crosswise, and add to the sieve.

Toss the vegetables with 1.5 tsp kosher salt and leave to drain; the salt draws out flavourless water and seasons and softens them.

Finely chop the shallot.

After the lentils' 10 minutes, add the Israeli couscous and cook until both are tender, checking early.

In a small bowl, combine the shallot with 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt to mellow it.

Tear the olives into bite-sized pieces; pick the herbs in big pieces.

Shake the drained vegetables and transfer them to the big bowl.

Drain the lentils and couscous in the same sieve and rinse off the surface starch, which clouds the dressing; add to the bowl.

Lift the shallots out of the vinegar into the bowl, reserving the vinegar; add the olives, crumble in the feta and add the herbs.

Taste and season with more of the reserved vinegar or salt little by little, before any oil.

Add a quarter cup of olive oil, toss and serve.