If any of you, my dear readers, have a connection to Lebanon, Israel, or Turkey, then you already know this salad by heart. You’re probably asking yourselves why do the Americans even need a recipe for this? It’s just chopping vegetables!  And you wouldn’t be wrong. In many parts of the world, some version of this is on the table every night. Literally. And some mornings, too.

There are no rules. You can chop finely, or coarsely – just aim for everything around the same size. Although very ripe tomatoes require a coarse chop or they disintegrate.

I start with equal parts tomato and cucumber. And if that’s all I’ve got, then that’s all I need. But I like to add an additional veggie or two. I don’t like carrots or cabbage here: too tough. I don’t like lettuce: too soft. I avoid corn: too sweet. I avoid avocado: too unctuous (and it doesn’t age well). Tender young yellow summer squash is just right. I personally love a bit of red onion, although that can be polarizing. Jicama is doable. Sweet bell peppers work. I have mixed feelings about radish…   

For dressing, a little lemon juice is traditional. (Or in Turkey, a lot of lemon juice). Chopped parsley is also traditional, but I tend to skip it. You can choose a mild olive oil, or one with bite, like Bariani, Sindyanna/Serrv, and Olio Beato. Whatever you do, do not pollute this salad with balsamic or buffalo or bleu anything. Oil, acid and herbs only. Maybe a crumble of feta, or some olives. Some chick peas or tuna will turn this hearty salad into a light meal.   

Ingredients

• 1 part wonderful, ripe tomatoes 
• 1 part crisp, fresh cucumbers 
• up to 1 part other vegetables of your choice 
• a generous drizzle of good olive oil
• salt and lemon juice to taste
• optional: lemon wedge, sprinkle of za’atar, olives, feta, fresh parsley or thyme

Method

1. Chop your veggies. Try to use pickling or Persian cukes instead of English cukes. Unless they’re really bitter, leave the peels on.   
2. Put everything in a big bowl, and gently toss with high-quality olive oil. The tomatoes will leave a little juice on the cutting board. Get that in the bowl, too. Taste for salt. 
3. Serve as-is, or with a sprinkle of za’atar and/or lemon wedges. This salad will keep for a few days in the fridge. Serve alongside eggs, yogurt, warm pita and hummus, poached whitefish with herbs, or grilled meats.

Serve as-is, or with a sprinkle of za’atar and/or lemon wedges. This salad will keep for a few days in the fridge. Serve alongside eggs, yogurt, warm pita and hummus, poached whitefish with herbs, or grilled meats.

radicchio | citrus | shaved fennel | toasted hazelnuts

I was in Italy early October, on Lake Bolsena, with my father and brothers and sister, and all the children.  They rented a big house.  Every day, we went somewhere, walked around, and ate lunch out.  Every evening, we came home and made a big family dinner with whatever looked fresh at the village greengrocer.  So you buy what’s in season, and then you have to figure out what to do with it… I think this was night #4.  (Along with some lake fish, bean soup, and pasta for the kids).

Everyone will love this salad – even people who “don’t love fennel” and “don’t love radicchio.” Like autumn itself, this dish is complex and bittersweet. You can, of course, adjust proportions if you want to play up any one flavor or texture. But really, this one is about balance.

I’ve seen fennel-radicchio salads before, usually with honey-and-vinegar dressings. But I’d rather not go in so heavy-handed. The citrus drips in some nice flavor, almost by accident. Then a drizzle of high-quality olive oil, and plenty of coarse black pepper is all I need. Maybe some flaky salt.

Serves 6-ish

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head radicchio about the size of a baseball
• 1 large or two small fennel bulbs
• 2 sweet oranges
• 1 pink grapefruit
• 1 Tbsp very good olive oil
• ½ C toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
• very coarsely ground black pepper to taste
• Optional: flaky salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Shave the fennel very thin. Slice the radicchio into thick ribbons. Section the citrus.
2. Toss everything together, except the hazelnuts and salt. Don’t skimp on the black pepper. If your fennel bulb came with fronds green dilly fronds, you can chop and sprinkle a little on top now.
3.  This salad can keep for days and days in the fridge. When ready to serve, add the hazelnuts and flaky salt, so they don’t lose their crunch.

September is often fall-ish, and tomatoes have almost stopped producing. Corn, however, relishes the end of summer and onset of fall. So, for me, September is all about corn salads. This one has fun in every bite!

First, let’s talk about herbs. I like using whatever is most bountiful from my garden, mix-and-match. Basil, parsley, cilantro and dill are the usual suspects. But you could use dark red shiso leaf or Thai basil. Or whatever you love! As for the oil, I really, really love the Austrian pumpkinseed oil in the photo. It’s so dark and earthy — it doesn’t take a back seat to anything! Otherwise, I like a good smoked olive oil. These days, I’m using the Holy Smokes brand.

I’m going to recommend fresh corn, cut off the cob. Although you can use frozen. There are many different ways to cut corn off the cob. Safest is probably laying corn down on a cutting board and slicing corn off lengthwise with a sharp knife. Rotate ear onto cut side, slice more, repeat. When I use frozen corn, I don’t use it raw. I stir it in a skillet until it browns slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the mix-ins. Toss with a rubber spatula. Add mix-ins and toss again. Serve room temp or chill for later. This salad keeps (without the avocado) for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, covered. If you’re using avocado, add that just before serving. Enjoy, hombres.