For years, when August brought me local tomatoes, I've chopped some of them with cucumber, scallions and herbs, dressed them with olive oil and vinegar, and enjoyed serving this fresh, healthy salad.
Recently I was talking to Fatima, a friend from Morocco, about the dish and she gave me her version. She uses lemon instead of vinegar. I'm a fan of lemon zest so I used both the lemon zest and juice and loved the result. In the photo (above) there is also some celery I found in the crisper and a sprinkle of my favorite Aleppo pepper over the salad.
It also has a mix of tomatoes. I cut up a big Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato and then added a few cherry tomatoes cut in quarters.
In the most basic version of this salad, you chop tomatoes, cucumbers, and scallions; season with salt, pepper, olive oil, and some kind of acid ingredient – vinegar, lemon, lime, etc. Then you can take it to what ever culture you choose.
Add some feta cheese, Kalamata olives, red onion, and green pepper with a sprinkle of oregano and you have a Greek version.
Dice tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and parsley and you have an Israeli salad. Add garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime– and it's salsa.
You can switch up the seasoning and have a different salad each day of the week. And, this base also takes on additions like cheese, beans, and legumes to turn it into a meal. All those lovely juices that come from the mix are perfect for dipping grilled slices of bread or tossing with toasted croutons to make a version of Italian panzanella!
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny Cherubino
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