A New Twist On a Summer Favorite

Last weekend Andy and I rented a house in the Catskills with some friends of ours. Lucky for us, the house had a vegetable garden out back that we were able to use. We found multiple types of lettuce, mint, Alpine strawberries (so tiny and so sweet!), and some gigantic cucumbers. We had seriously never seen cucumbers this size before, and there were a lot of them! In addition to the bounty of produce from their garden, we had brought the veggies from our CSA, including heirloom tomatoes.

I decided that to get the best use out of the cucumbers and tomatoes, I would make a variation on my regular cucumber salad. Instead of just using cucumbers and onions, I used cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and the fresh mint. The end result: A light, refreshing salad that went perfectly with our BBQ that evening.

Cucumber, Tomato, and Red Onion Salad with Mint

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3 large cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced into half moons
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 large heirloom tomatoes, or use a mixture of different sized tomatoes, seeded and cut into medium-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, ripped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss together the cucumbers, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let stand at room temperature for an hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Add tomatoes, onion, mint, and oil to cucumbers and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note:

• Rip the mint leaves instead of chopping them to avoid them turning brown.
• This salad does get very liquidy, so make it right before serving, otherwise it may look more like gazpacho!

Do you have a favorite summer salad?