Summer tomato cucumber salad

I’ve been volunteering making photos for Rain City Rock Camp all week so I have little to say other than my heart is full. I tend to feel things like a blur while I’m at summer camp but once it’s over, I miss all the good feelings. Plus do you know any other camp that has a lunchtime band? We got to listen to Mommy Long Legs, Spinster, Naomi Wachira, Skates! and Charlie and the Rays while eating/grooving. Then there was the showcase on Saturday which will take me a while to recover from. In a good way. Those songs.

Here is a recipe I made on Sunday before camp. I guess it could be classified as a (not) recipe but it’s delicious so WHO CARES. Those are the best kinds. Here is a related recipe from last year, also simple and great for summer lunches.

Notes

Amchur or dried mango powder is used as a souring agent in some types of North Indian cooking. I’ve heard of taste comparisons made to sumac but since I’ve never tried it, I don’t know how true this is. Feel free to substitute sumac and let me know. If you don’t have either, add lemon juice instead.

I made a double batch of the first dressing because I like to have it in the fridge for the week. It works well with a variety of meals.

I’ve suggested an easier dressing for this salad if you don’t have many ingredients at home.

Ingredients

For the salad

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 large cucumber, diced
• 1 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup feta

Mix all the ingredients except the feta in a medium-sized bowl. Chill in the fridge until ready to use. Top with feta once the dressing (see below) is mixed in.

For the dressing

Makes extra

• 1/2 cup dill
• 1/2 cup mint
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp amchur (raw mango powder)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Add the herbs, garlic, red pepper flakes, amchur and salt to a food processor and process on low for 30 second until the herbs and garlic are torn down. Add the yogurt and olive oil and process until combined.

Top the salad with dressing a maximum of 3o minutes before serving. Serve cold with some crusty seed bread.

For an easy riff on the dressing

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt
• Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Chill until ready to use.