Yellow and white cucumbers! Have you ever seen such a thing? I hadn’t until I perused the Country Fresh Herbs table at the Larchmont Farmers Market, laden with a large basket of these crunchy beauties sharing space with Persian greens. I knew that I had to make a salad with them all, so filled a bagful. A few feet down were the baskets of baby heirlooms that have come to be a staple in my house. Sweet, juicy orbs of tomato-y lusciousness. They add such a great pop of color to any dish. Added a bunch of cilantro as well. Add to that the purple spring onions from Frecker Farms, and the avocados from JM Produce, and I knew I had a great summer salad ready to be made.
This salad is like a super chunky salsa, as the ingredients are the same. You could actually dice, instead of chop, the vegetables to make it more of a salsa. I wanted it as a side dish, so kept the vegetables in big chunks. With the weather heating up again, double digits some places, this is the perfect side dish to help cool down and beat the heat.
And the result? “Crunchy, tangy, tasty, refreshing.” Those were the testimonials from the taste focus group, a.k.a. my husband. I was surprised he loved it so much. He doesn’t usually like chunks of avocado in salads. He’s a guacamole-only kind of guy. Hopefully, you’ll love it, too.
Please note that you should use ripe but firm avocados that are just soft to the touch. This way the pieces will hold their shape and not dissolve into the dressing. If you can’t find purple spring onions, use red onions, as noted in the recipe. And feel free to use lemon instead of lime juice. Both work well.
Cucumber, Tomato and Avocado Salad
2 1/2 cups chopped yellow, white and green cucumbers, if available, otherwise use just Persian green cucumbers
1 1/2 cups baby heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
4 purple spring onions, purple and white part only sliced, or 3 T chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
juice of one lime
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 medium firm ripe avocados, cut in chunks (wait unit adding to cut up)
Toss cucumbers, tomatoes, spring onion and cilantro to mix. Add salt and mix again. Add lime juice and oil and mix again. Add avocado and toss gently. Taste for seasoning.
Serve immediately. Can be made ahead and wait to add avocado when ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers.
