It’s that time of year, when gardens and CSA bags are overflowing with cucumbers. As soon as I picked up my newest pile on Saturday morning, I knew what I wanted to make. So I grabbed some ground lamb out of the freezer to thaw, threw together some tzatziki sauce, and whipped up this salad in no time flat.
Sorry for the blurry photo, I was too hungry to check before diving in!
We ate this on top of lamb-burger pita sandwiches, but I bet it’d be delicious as a dip with some pita chips at your next cookout. I’d hoped there would be enough leftover for lunch the next day but….whoops. This was just that good. Like good enough to eat straight from the bowl. But not on your patio, where your neighbors might see you and make fun of you for “eating out of the big-kid bowl.” Not that that happened or anything, just giving you an example. But to be on the safe side, if you do go straight in with a spoon, maybe be inside. Alone. With the shades drawn.
Perfect atop a lamb burger pita!
Cucumber-Tomato Salad
I used cherry tomatoes here because they hold up well in the salad. But if you’ve got a ripe tomato still warm from the garden, by all means use that! If you want to serve this as a dip, might I suggest blending the feta and a touch of Greek yogurt in with the oil and acid, to help it bind together?- 1 large cucumber, deseeded and diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 2 cups)
- 2 oz feta, crumbled
- juice of 1 lemon (plus red wine vinegar, if needed) totaling 2 tbsp
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp each basil and mint, finely chopped
- salt & pepper
- In a big-kid sized bowl (about 3 qts), combine cucumber, tomato, feta, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
- Whisk/shake/blend together lemon juice (and vinegar if using) and olive oil. Pour over salad and toss gently to combine.
- Let stand for at least one hour to allow flavors to combine; toss again before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Simple, yet tasty 🙂
Enjoy s’more summer salads..
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