Fresh Mediterranean Salad

This evening, I made my lunch for tomorrow. I wanted something fresh with a lot of veggies - but, I didn't want a wilted salad. I'm tired of romaine lettuce! So, I whipped up this salad, reminiscent of the Lebanese salad I used to have at the Middle Eastern restaurant in college.

It's a little tart, given that it's flavor comes from a lot of lemon juice, and a Middle Eastern spice called "sumac". Sumac is some sort of ground dried berry - that has a very distinct, lemony sort of flavor. Sumac can usually be found at international markets - in the Middle Eastern section. It's usually in a bag, and looks like dark reddish brown flakes.

The recipe also calls for Persian cucumbers. These are shorter, skinnier, and wrinklier than American cucumbers. They are similar to English cucumbers, in that they have less water, less seeds, and are crunchier. I love cucumbers - and they're my favorite kind!

Best of all, this salad is pretty healthy... Lots of veggies, just a bit of olive oil, and, of course, garlic! :) Doesn't garlic belong in everything? :)

Fresh Mediterranean Salad
Source: Me!
Serves: Approx 4 side salad servings

Veggies -
2 green bell peppers, cut in approx 1 inch chunks
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 persian cucumbers (or, 1/3 to 1/2 of an English cucumber)
Optional: diced red onions

Dressing - these are rough amounts... all of these ingredients can be adjusted to taste.
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons sumac (you might want to cut back on this a little - I like it, but it can be a little tangy for some tastebuds)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions: Mix the dressing ingredients, and pour over the veggies. Toss to coat.