Cucumber and Tomato Salad

My grocery bill this week was only $56 dollars (compared to the normal $85).  Bring on the garden eating!!  If you have a small garden, or friends at work who share their garden, this is an easy recipe that is best this time of year when it's all FRESH!

Cucumbers - about 2-3
Tomatoes - about 2-3 or a mix of cherry and Roma.....just whatever you have available.
Crumbled Feta - 1/2 cup
Red Wine Vinaigrette  - 1/4 cup homemade or bottled

I like to partially peal the cucumbers because most homegrown cucumbers will sometimes have a bitter skin. Mix it all together!!  Done.

If you have green onions, use about 2 tablespoons chopped green parts.

Making your own Red Wine Vinaigrette is easy and you usually have most of the ingredients at home:
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar (or white)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 tablespoon French Sea Salt (you like how I threw in that French part!!! ;)
1/4 tablespoon black pepper
1/4 tablespoon minced garlic (optional)
Now shake it up, just shake it up..... cue Taylor Swift musical ADD.

The salad is wonderful as is.  But, to take it the next step and make it a meal salad for 4-6 bulk it up with a grain.   I used Bob's Red Mill Israeli Couscous because it's only ingredient is whole wheat flour and I can easily find it at Big Lots.
Other greats ideas would be a can of Chick Peas or toasted baguette cubes to make it more of an Italian Bread Salad.

Do you notice the wine glass in the background?  Yes, that is my wedding crystal.  I have decided recently, why have it if you are never going to use it!  In one of my favorite stories a young prince meets a businessman who considers himself rich because he owns millions of stars.  The little prince ask him what does he use the stars for and what do the stars do for him.  The businessman responds nothing, he just owns them and that makes him rich.  The little prince thinks this is very bizarre.  The prince only owns some volcanoes and a flower that he takes care of, and this makes him feel rich because they need him.  In this story, we learn that what we own is of no value unless it is useful to us.  In turn, we can purge what we own that is of no use to us, and we can start to use all the stuff that we  "save for special occasions," and in that we will find wealth.  After all, there is no special occasion more special than the present!!
If you pledge to use something that's only for "special occasions" or if you pledge to purge something tomorrow, share this post.  Lets make everyday "special."  I toast you with my Noritake, Paris Pattern, Crystal Stemware!