I made this salad the other evening because a) I needed to use the Persian cucumbers I had received in our last box from Klesick’s Farms. (We get their veggie and salad box every 2 weeks.) b) I needed to use the beautiful organic beef steak tomato that had arrived in the same box. c) I’m trying to serve salad most evenings for dinner. d) This salad is really, really delicious and super easy to build, especially the dressing.

I have been preparing this salad dressing, sometimes adding finely minced garlic or shallot, for as long as I can remember. It’s a very rudimentary dressing, but sometimes the simplest preparations are the best. And for this combination of veggies it is absolutely perfect.

Now of course I could have added red onion or any number of additives. That would have been delicious too. But sometimes I get a little weary of making salads. (Sometimes! Now that’s what is commonly referred to as an understatement! I often go just about prostrate over the very thought of fixing yet one more salad!) So anytime I can fix a quick and easy salad that looks and tastes great, I am one step closer to keeping my mental health intact.

So if you too get a wee bit tired of hacking and slashing veggies, fix this simple salad that actually takes a very short time to prepare. Sanity is a wonderful thing to maintain, and it’s especially difficult right now as we watch the world keep re-shaping itself on a daily basis. So we have to stay resolute. Say to yourself – I will keep myself and my family healthy by preparing delicious and nutritious food. I will endeavor to accommodate every family member’s fondest wish. (Wrong! I only threw that in to see if you were paying attention!) I will take good care of myself physically and mentally. (Right!) And if that means cutting yourself some slack in the kitchen, then by all means do so! We cooks are only human too. (And yes, I know that comes as a surprise to some of you.) We get just as discouraged, afraid, concerned, overwhelmed, exhausted, and weary as anyone else. But we have one advantage over some of the rest of the populace. We know how to bake brownies!  

So to all my fellow cooks out there – stay vigilant. Keep your sanity, and help those around you do the same. Keep cooking, but make it simple if that will help you maintain. As always, peace, love, and contentment to all.

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

1½ T. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper  

3 small Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced or half of an English cucumber, partially peeled, cut in half, seeded, then cut in half rounds

1 lg. tomato, de-seeded and chopped

1 T. chopped fresh chives

Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a salad bowl. (Can be made ahead.) When ready to serve, gently stir in the cucumbers, tomato, and chives.