Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Cucumber & Heirloom Tomato Salad

This is one of my most favorite summer salads, its refreshing and goes with anything. Super simple to make and full of such healthy and fresh flavors. Cucumbers are incredibly crunchy and almost floral while the tomato is creamy and tangy. I like to add in some mildly sharp spring onion or shallot, it helps to even out and make the salad interesting. The dressing is super simple and also filled with the flavors of summer, bright and pungent. I use a bit of lemon juice, champagne vinegar, super fruity extra virgin olive oil and then whatever herbs are ready to be snipped in my garden; oregano, thyme, rosemary, chives and basil all work well. You can serve this over Israeli couscous for a complete vegetarian meal or with a large slice of rotisserie chicken, let someone else warm up their kitchens! This also makes a great topping for grilled fish or as a "salsa" for tortilla chips. Its very versatile and incredibly healthy!

This recipe serves 6-8 as a side dish.

Ingredients

2 Medium, organic cucumbers, chopped.
1 Extra large or two medium, organic heirloom tomatoes, chopped.
1/2 Spring onion or a large shallot, minced.

Dressing

2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice, about half a lemon.
3 Tbsp champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar.
1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp fresh, organic herbs, chopped finely, I used oregano, chives and thyme.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
1 Clove organic garlic, minced or grated.
1/2 tsp Local honey

Directions

Put all veggies in a large bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, whisking till they become thick. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Pour as much dressing as you need over the salad, I had huge cucumbers so I needed all the dressing. Mix well to coat all veggies, but be gentle you don't want to break up the tomatoes too much.

Serve with your favorite grilled meat, over couscous or eat on its own! Enjoy!


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