Easy & Delicious Farmer's Market Salad

Last Friday I stopped by the Whittier Farmer's Market and was reacquainted with one of my favorite salads. When I worked for Taguchi Farms back in the '80s, one of the vendors at the market would make this salad and have a bowl of toothpicks next to it to make it available for tasting. The ingredients are simple--pick several summer veggies--and the preparation is easy--chop into bite-sized pieces and dress with lemon/lime juice and sea salt.

This salad is perfect for the hot, hot, HOT weather we've been having here in Southern California--I've been keeping a big bowl of salad in the refrigerator, so it's nice and cold.

Some of my family members like it with a little shoyu on-the-side, or with some chopped jalapeños sprinkled on top. It's also good with a drizzle of olive oil.

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes

1 red pepper (I ended up not using the green pepper)

1 small yellow pepper

1 small red onion

6 cucumbers

8 curly peppers (they're mild)

1 bunch cilantro leaves

juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime

sea salt & pepper to taste

The key to making this salad good is to use vegetable you like. I really like cucumbers, so I use a lot of them. Homegrown tomatoes or ones from a farmer's market will make the salad better since those tomatoes will have a lot of flavor. I like the curly peppers because they're mild and everyone in my family can eat them, I'll serve jalapeños on the side. Red onion gives the salad a little bite of spiciness. The lemon and/or lime juice with a little sea salt keeps the salad light, tasting fresh and mellows out the red onion a bit.

Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

I used 3 different kinds of cucumbers because I saw them at the market--Persian, pickling and Japanese--they all looked so good.

Put all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl, add juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime, salt and pepper to taste and toss gently. I take the leaves off the cilantro--chopping them is a lot faster, but I don't think the stems look as nice as the leaves. Is that a little OCD? 

Chill thoroughly and serve.

Itadakimasu!

***

Remember Isamu? You first met him in the Gail's Stew post.

He's keeping cool in this heat.

 A few months ago he had a birthday! He's growing so fast!

 Isamu LOVES trucks and LARGE vehicles.

The whole family gathered not too long ago for his baptism.

Proud parents, Eugene and Maria.

Isamu loves Obaachan. Absolutely LOVES her! Obaachan is Isamu's best friend. She teaches him a lot of Japanese words--his parents call it "Bachanese". He says "Yanna." "Yanna go see Mommy." He talks a lot, but can also be quiet. Early on he learned "Dude" and "Sweet" from his cousins Tyler and Colin (who are in their twenties). Isamu is learning Spanish, too. He loves trucks, Duplos and playing with water. He's smart and has a good sense of humor--he likes to be funny and make us laugh. Sometimes he calls his dad "Eugene," but mostly he calls him "Poppy." He can do impressions of Obaachan, Eugene and Rufina, his babysitter. Isamu loves guacamole--and eats it like a main dish. I love to hear him shout, "Guacamole!" when he comes over. 

Isamu brings a lot of joy to our family.

***

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes

1 red pepper (I ended up not using the green pepper)

1 small yellow pepper

1 small red onion

6 cucumbers

8 curly peppers (they're mild)

1 bunch cilantro leaves

juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime

sea salt & pepper to taste

optional: drizzle of olive oil

chopped jalapeños

Chop all vegetables into bite-sized pieces. 

Put all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl, add juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime, salt and pepper to taste and toss gently.

Chill thoroughly before serving.