If you like tart and tangy, savory and salty flavors, then this is a salad you’ll have to try! I made this Tomato Cucumber Salad with Feta when my friend Greg gave me some cucumbers from his garden. You can’t go wrong combining cucumbers with tomatoes, but when you add in some feta cheese and Kalamata olives, that really gives this salad a special zing!
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Soup is such a great thing to eat on a cold winter day. Like this Tomato Carrot Soup with Basil. Although, I have to admit, it’s also good in the summer made with fresh tomatoes. But during the winter you can use canned diced tomatoes and I think it tastes just as good.
I’ve been having lots of soup lately, because it is cold and because I’ve been getting over a nasty bout of bronchitis, which I had over most of the holidays. I was disappointed at not being able to post more holiday recipes, but just didn’t have much energy to cook or do much else!
So I thought this would be a good time to post a soup recipe–most people love a good bowl of soup in the winter and this is so good for you. It has a good variety of veggies in it–carrots, celery and onion–all blended to a smooth consistency. Garlic and basil also add to the flavor. It makes a great meal with some crusty bread. Or serve it before a main course for dinner.
TOMATO CARROT SOUP WITH BASIL by NancyC
Makes about 4 servings
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, shredded
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup water
- 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced (or 2 [14.5-ounce] cans diced tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 Tablespoons dried basil, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
In large saucepan, cook carrots, celery, onion, and garlic, in olive oil, covered, over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add half of the tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes.
Transfer mixture, in 2 batches, to a blender or food processor and add 1/2 cup water to each batch. Cover and blend until smooth, then return mixture to saucepan.
Stir in the salt, half of the basil, and the remaining tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining basil and balsamic vinegar and heat an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
If you are a fan of tomato soup, you’ll want to try this sometime! I love trying out new versions of tomato soup. Do you have a favorite tomato soup recipe?
Sharing at Friday Features, Thursday Favorite Things, Full Plate Thursday, Inspire Me Monday, Happiness is Homemade, Meal Plan Monday.
It’s nice to have something simple and healthy to eat in the summer. Something a little lighter that doesn’t take too much effort so you can spend more of your time enjoying other fun summer things, especially since there’s not much of summer left!
This is a super-easy sandwich I love and if you have a garden and are growing your own tomatoes and cucumbers, it’s the perfect thing to use them in! All you need are half of an avocado, a little lemon juice, a slice of tomato and some cucumber slices…and a little dash of sea salt. It makes a great summer lunch if you like to eat light during the hot weather!
AVOCADO MASH WITH TOMATO AND CUCUMBER by NancyC
Makes 1 open-faced sandwich
- 1 slice of your favorite bread (I used a whole grain bread slice)
- 1/2 of a large avocado
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 6 cucumber slices (from a medium-size cucumber)
- 1 tomato slice (from a large tomato)
- dash of sea salt, if desired
In a small bowl, mash the avocado half with the lemon juice until creamy and spread evenly on the slice of bread. Over this, arrange 3 cucumber slices in a row on the upper top third of the bread slice. Cut the tomato slice in half and arrange the two halves next to each other in the middle third of the bread slice, slightly overlapping the cucumber slices. Arrange the last 3 cucumber slices in the bottom third area of the bread, slightly overlapping the tomato slices. Add a sprinkle of sea salt, if desired over the cucumber and tomato slices. Serve immediately.
When the weather gets hot and humid, I hate to turn my oven on. So I make lots of sandwiches and salads! What do you like making when it’s too hot to bake?
Sharing at Fiesta Friday, Weekend Potluck, Meal Plan Monday, Inspire Me Monday.
Throughout the summer, I love eating slices of juicy watermelon, but I thought I’d try something different with it for a change. I found a Watermelon-Cucumber Salad with Feta recipe at Food.com, and it sounded like the perfect thing to try! I omitted some ingredients and added some others, and I really like the slightly sweet and savory combination of tastes this salad has! It’s a great way to use your garden veggies if you’re growing cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, too!
WATERMELON-CUCUMBER -TOMATO SALAD WITH FETA by NancyCreative, adapted from Food.com
Makes 6 servings
- 6 cups watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 medium English cucumber, peeled or unpeeled and thinly sliced or cut into chunks
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced or chopped (chop the green stems and the white part of the onions)
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- I/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (or you can use a whole 4-ounce container if you want to have extra cheese in your salad)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh mint, chopped (optional)
Combine watermelon, English cucumber, green onions, olives, and cherry tomatoes in a large salad bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, and olive oil.
Add lime juice mixture to watermelon and other ingredients in large bowl; toss gently to coat.
Sprinkle with feta and chopped fresh mint, if using; toss gently again and serve.
Have you made any unique watermelon recipes this summer?
Linked to Inspire Me Monday.
If you have a vegetable garden, you may may have planted some cucumbers and tomatoes. And throughout the summer, there’s a good chance you’ll end up with quite a bit of these because they seem to grow so well in gardens! Here’s a recipe you can use your cukes and tomatoes in…it’s a quick and easy salad with a lightly tangy apple cider vinegar/olive oil dressing. I like this salad because the taste of the dressing is very light and complements the natural flavor of the cucumbers and tomatoes. I found it at Foodnetwork.com–I used grape tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes and added a little extra sliced onion. I also added a bit more apple cider vinegar for just a slightly tangier taste. If you have large tomatoes, you can cut them into chunks about the size of a cherry tomato.
CUCUMBER, TOMATO, AND ONION SALAD by NancyC, adapted from Foodnetwork.com
Makes 4 to 6 servings
- 1 pound cucumbers (about 2 medium), peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cups (1 pint) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (or cut larger tomatoes into cherry tomato-size chunks)
- 1/2 to 2/3 of a medium size sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
In a large bowl, toss together the cucumbers, tomatoes, sliced onion, and parsley. Drizzle vinegar and olive oil over these ingredients, then add a few dashes of salt and pepper, and toss all ingredients again, coating everything well. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Let salad stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
Do you have a summer vegetable garden? What kinds of veggies do you like to grow?
NancyC 