Tomato, Cucumber Salad; picnics

I may have mentioned, once or twice, that it’s been a strange summer. It’s been cooler and wetter than recent summers, which has made my vegetable production…. unpredictable.

I finally have tomatoes.

They started ripening, slowly, a few weeks ago and are now producing multitudes daily. I’m making soup with the big, gnarly ones; peeling, chopping, and freezing the Romas; and eating the rest as fast as we can.

I’ve been eating 1 or 2 tomato sandwiches every day – and loving every bite.

I don’t think I’ll be getting a 2nd crop this year. The first crop was late and, with the cool weather, I’m losing the battle with late blight. I spray and trim faithfully, but there comes a point when the age of the plant coupled with the cool weather beat human intervention.

I’m not getting any late starts from the winter squash either.

On the bright side I can put the potager to bed for the winter sooner than usual.

I’m not sure which I like best – planting in the spring or the final clean-up in the fall. Summer is a lot of work.

One more tomato salad:

Click here to Pin Tomato, Cucumber Salad

Tomato, Cucumber Salad

Print Recipe

This is a pretty but simple salad with the best of summer produce.
It can be easily expanded to serve a crowd.

• Author: Kate
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x
• Category: Salad

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 – 3 garden ripened tomatoes, sliced
• 1 small cucumber, peeled & sliced
• fresh basil leaves
• Tarragon White Wine Vinaigrette:
• 1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tbs tarragon white wine vinegar
• 2 tbs good olive oil

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Arrange tomatoes, cucumber and basil nicely on large plate.
• Combine mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil.
• Drizzle tomatoes and cucumbers with vinaigrette and serve.

Notes

Peeling the cucumber is not necessary but my personal preference. You could substitute bottled salad dressing.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 salad & dressing
• Calories: 178
• Sugar: 5.7 g
• Sodium: 75.3 mg
• Fat: 14.5 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 12 g
• Fiber: 2.6 g
• Protein: 2.4 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: tomato salad, cucumber salad

Regarding salads – and picnics…. There is still time.

The cooler temps are, for me, perfect picnic weather. We have a few spots that we drive to for our bike rides along the canal that have picnic tables.

Picnics are very popular here in France. One can almost always easily find a roadside picnic table. They are often occupied with a proper French picnic: tablecloths, real plates and cutlery, salads and / or quiche, and perhaps wine.

We don’t do that…. I bring a salad and sandwich fixin’s (usually for wraps), paper plates, and soft drinks.

This is our favorite spot:

It’s right on the bike path (rather than a road) and there are 4 picnic tables with benches in between. There is a restaurant just past the last picnic table and there are always boats for a little people watching.

In typical French fashion every person who walks or rides past wishes us ‘bon appétit’.