Herby Melange

My great, great aunt — a role model for healthy aging — always seems to bring something special when she comes over for a meal.  Self educated and worldly, she has a sophisticated grace about her that shows through in her day-to-day way of living, the questions she asks, and her impeccable taste in seemingly everything.  As a college student, her recipes are the first one’s I’d ever seen with no measurements, just ingredients.  Her kitchen is stocked with minimal, but high quality ingredients.  And she keeps her mind and her palate challenged by reading and listening to and seeing and cooking and tasting new things.

She came over last weekend and brought a delicious persian salad recipe she saw in The New York Times Magazine.  It was the perfect accompaniment to the main event — homemade pizza.  It feels like a great recipe to kick off August — one of the most beautifully lingering months of the year.  Mmmmmmmmm!

Persian Salad (adapted by Mark Bittman)

(20 minutes to prep)

• 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 4 Persian cucumbers, chopped
• 1/2 small white onion, chopped
• 2 T chopped basil
• 1 T chopped cilantro
• 1/2 t dried mint
• 1/2 t crushed red chili pepper
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 T olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl; toss, and serve!