Summer Tomato-Cucumber Salad with a Twist

This salad (or some incarnation of it) is pretty standard fare in the summer, what with our easy access to farm fresh heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers, not to mention local feta cheese. Sometimes it is as simple as this, other times fresh herbs (parsley, thyme), garlic or onions or shallots, olives, marinated peppers or artichoke hearts, slivered almonds or pistachios, orzo or quinoa or wheat berries accompany the vegetables. Add some salt and cracked black pepper, a splash of olive oil and balsamic or red wine vinegar and it's delicious. Sometimes I substitute lemon juice for the vinegar, but I've never tried it with lime juice until now. Let me tell you, it elevates this salad to a whole other level. The lime juice really brings out the sweetness of the tomatoes, not to mention the fact that lime juice is a pretty standard mate to cucumbers.

Since this recipe (like any salad recipe) is so open to interpretation, there is no recipe, only inspiration. Serve with crusty bread or pitas for a light summer meal.