14 September 2011

Seasonal Recipe: Tomato and Grape Salad with Salted Cucumbers

Tomato and Grape Salad with Salted Cucumbers

Recipe by: Ken Rubin, Chef Director, International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland

Ken’s grandmother used to make him a salad like this when he was a kid growing up in New Jersey. Now you can make it too!

1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded
2 large tomatoes (one yellow, one red)
1 cup seedless grapes
2 tablespoons chopped basil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste

Dice the cucumber into ¼ inch chunks and place in colander. Coat with 2-3 teaspoons of salt and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Rinse and let dry in a colander.

Dice tomatoes and slice grapes in half and place in a large bowl. Add basil, parsely, lemon juice, zest, olive oil and black pepper.

Stir in salted cucumbers and let sit for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Taste and season with additional salt if necessary.