Cucumber and Tomato Salad

by Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger

29 Jun 2007 08:00 AM

During the hot summer months, we're always on the lookout for cooling recipes. Some foods raise the body temperature, like meat and peanuts, while others lower it, like tomatoes, watermelon, and grapes. When I found this delightful recipe, I was all over it like a fruit fly on a banana.

Now, there aren't exact amounts for this recipe - it's all according to taste.

Peel and dice several cucumbers. If you're preparing for a large crowd, do a lot, and if there will just be a few people, do a few. (This is very scientific, you see.)

Now dice several tomatoes. You want the amounts to be the same, so if you ended up with four cups of cucumbers, dice four cups of tomatoes. The variety doesn't matter - if you like juice and seeds, you can use a hothouse tomato, or you can use a Roma if the seeds and juice don't appeal as much.

Stir the two together, and then douse with Italian dressing and sprinkle with salt. This is where your tastebuds come in - add these two last ingredients until the balance is right for you. It doesn't matter if the salad is a little bit wet. Just serve it in bowls as opposed to plates.

Now comes my favorite part. Take some fresh mint leaves, crush them, and mix them in as your final touch. Some people don't care for this addition, but I think it gives the whole thing a little kick.

The original recipe called for curry and cayenne, but we prefer it without.

This is a fabulous recipe for using up those garden vegetables. No cooking, very little preparation, and it's delicious.

As a side dish, this salad goes well with baked chicken and baked fish. If you sprinkle the fish with lemon juice, the lemon on the fish and the tomato in the salad accent each other nicely.

(Tristi Pinkston is a full-time blogger in Movie and Media Reviews. Click here to read more by this blogger.)

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Learn more about Tristi Pinkston

I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006.

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