I’ve been wanting to make something different in the salad department. It’s been greens from the backyard and the occasional ripe tomato with balsamic and olive oil dressing ad infinitum. Not so bad, we love it in fact, but enough already. It had become salad-making laziness. Time for change.

I had a bulb fennel from Whistling Train Farm and a half cucumber sitting in the fridge, a smidge of dill from the garden and whatever tomatoes I could harvest from our skimpy crop (so far). Mixed it all together and it was a spontaneous experiment that worked out deliciously.

Fennel Cucumber Salad w/Tomatoes:

1 small – medium fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced very thinly, slivered (You could use a mandolin if you have one.)

½ cucumber, partly peeled and sliced lengthwise into thin, 2-3″ matchsticks strips

A big handful of fresh tomatoes, chopped

Squeeze a lemon over all of this (or use red wine vinegar), a big dribble of olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss.

Sprinkle fresh dill or fennel leaves over the top.

This can sit for a while, or it can be eaten immediately, a refreshing summertime salad that’s local/seasonal right now.

With a piece of fish on the side this is a good summery meal, plus there might be carrot cupcakes after.