As Goals Go...

If you're like me and a lot of other people, you start out every brand new year with a resolution of some kind. Most of these begin with some version of "This year I resolve to get healthy." Ahh, those resolutions; they're fun to make but ever so much more fun to break. Soon the holidays are over and it's back to reality. Six months down the road, Spring is in full swing and those resolutions get quietly re-made-reinforced, and re-tooled for the reality of our lives. It can be frustrating, right?

So, this year, rather than resolve to trim down or wear myself out on the gym elliptical machine, I decided to set more realistic goals. See, I still want need to eat chocolate, even tho I know I shouldn't. So I knew I had to strike a bargain with myself, but one that I could live with: 1). I get chocolate if I eat a salad. 2). I get chocolate if I go for a walk. Okay, well, not quite that simplistic, but those are the basics of my goal reaching plan. I'm happy with it so far.

And I'm also ecstatically happy about this cucumber salad. It's versatile, robust, colorful, and light. Just looking at it makes me happy! It's also easy to make, and the ingredients are readily available this time of year. Even better if you can pull them out of your own, or a generous friend's garden. I like to serve this with seafood such as shrimp, lightly steamed in a light summer ale. But it's a very versatile dish and can easily stand on its own.

Country Style Greek Salad

Feeds 4, as a main meal, double that number as a side.

• 1 large seedless cucumber (sometimes called an "English" cucumber), or two medium cucumbers, seeded
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 half of a medium red onion, sliced thin and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 half each of a medium green and red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2/3 to 3/4 cup seedless Kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise (do not used canned olives)
• 8 oz good quality feta cheese. Use the solid cake, not the pre-crumbled kind, and cut into roughly half inch cubes or slightly smaller
• Basic Greek vinaigrette (recipe follows)
• At least a 1/2 cup well-aged Romano cheese, shaved thin
• Dill sprig (optional)

Preparation:

Zebra peel the cucumber then quarter it, lengthwise. Cut all four lengths into bite-sized pieces, approximately 1/2 inch long. Toss with the tomatoes, onion, green and red bell pepper, and olives. Gently fold in the feta cheese. A few minutes before serving, pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to incorporate. Toss half the Romano into the salad, and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top. Add the dill sprig if using. You should have about half of the vinaigrette leftover to serve at the table, in case your diners desire a little extra cheesy oomph with their salad.

Basic Greek Vinaigrette

Mix together 3/4 cup olive oil and 1 cup red wine vinegar. Add 1-1/2 teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard, two tablespoons grated Romano cheese, the juice of a half lemon, 1 tablespoon dill weed, 1 garlic clove, mashed in a garlic press (use more if you like it stronger), and a half teaspoon each of basil and oregano. Add a half teaspoon each of salt and pepper and whisk quickly with a fork or in a cruet.

If you prefer a creamier style Greek dressing, lightly emulsify the oil and vinegar together, using an immersion blender, and adding the remaining ingredients one at a time while aerating.

It's best to finish this salad up by the second or, at most, the third day. Luckily, it has transformative powers: Add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes and spoon it into an Italian style hoagie smeared with garlic or red pepper aoli. Or, add it to leftover cold pasta with a little chopped ham or chicken. You could also mix it with a can of white cannelloni or chick peas, or serve it with tabouli and/or whole grain rice, combined with seasoned shredded beef on top of a crisped corn tortilla shell...the possibilities are endless, and I would love to hear what your imaginations come up with!