Cooky Cat

It’s Not Salsa (Too Big)        It’s Not Salad (Too Small)

It’s Salsalata! (Just Right)

Our dear Myra Fillion served something she called “chopped salad.” It was essentially a very regular salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and sweet onion, dressed with oil and vinegar.

The distinction is in the way it is prepared. Everything was cut to a size that lets you eat it with a spoon. Perfect for dining while watching TV. [Yes, we wrote that, while watching TV. Don't get all up in our stuff, like you never do that yourself (or did, or will do). Cooky Cat's 6th sense says you do. He knows. By his 7th sense, he knows you will.]

We’ve been making this salad as a summertime dish when farm ripe tomatoes, sweet Vidalia onions, and local cucumbers are in season. Or, in the garden. A simple salad of tomatoes, cucumber, and sweet onion dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar is great. From childhood days we remember mom adding some sugar to the dressing. That touch of sweetness adds a wonderful extra dimension. Try honey instead. Or, some fruit flavored syrup (Grenadine works).

If you want to add a lettuce(s), go ahead. Just to also chop small.

And, of course, there is no limit to options. Herbs like fresh basil, parsley, dill, cilantro, chives; any one, or in a combination that suits your fancy. 

Bitter leaves like arugula and/or radicchio fit right in. Also, blanched bites of cauliflower and/or broccoli. Some cooked beets, always good (just toss them in last to keep the red in its place). And, here's one to try, fresh navel orange segments. And then there's cheeses, and meats, and seafoods. Bean sprouts, cooked beans and cooked pulses. And, lest we forget ... Avocado.

And, yet, the triumvirate of tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet onions is King.

Enjoy some Salsalata . . .