Thursday, July 7, 2011

Quick and cool Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad

I’m always on the lookout for simple, delicious salads that I can whip up in minutes in the heat of summer without losing my cool.
   Not that I ever really lose my patience when cooking, and we do have air conditioning.
   What I mean is that it’s nice to have some salad recipes on hand that come together quickly and with minimum fuss as a side for grilled meats, fish and poultry. Who wants to be slaving away in the kitchen when you can be enjoying the food and a summer evening?
   Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad (click for the recipe) from Bon Appetit magazine fits the bill of cool and quick – just a bit of slicing and dicing and presto-bango, you’ve got a refreshing salad.
   The flavor of the salad is quite subtle, even though there is one bunch of scallions (also called green or spring onions) and olives present. It lets the grilled entry on a plate take centre stage.
   The recipe calls for assorted pitted olives. Since we just had pitted Kalamata olives hanging out in the fridge, that’s what we used.
   To make the salad, coarsely chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions (green onions), pitted olives, feta cheese and chopped fresh mint are combined.
   The dressing is made by whisking olive oil and fresh lemon juice. The dressing is poured over the salad and tossed to coat.
   More feta cheese is sprinkled on top, and the salad is ready to serve.

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