Ol 'ive More

I really do love cucumbers. Onions too. Lucky for me our CSA has provided us with a bounty of fresh cukes and dreamy sweet onions.

I was so excited to find this recipe in my Junior League of Raleigh's cookbook, You're Invited. See, I have a lot a few cookbooks. It gets a little overwhelming sometimes when I want to find that particular recipe that I've seen somewhere but have no idea where and I need to cook this something-a-ruther before it goes bad. You know how it goes (any tips for organizing would be welcomed with open virtual arms). So imagine my delight when I realized that I had everything in my fridge necessary for some good ol' cucumber salad.

Now I must explain why the olives are in their own little bowl. It's not because they are super duper special and need star treatment. No. Truth be told. I don't care for olives. Green, black, pitted, stuffed ... doesn't matter. I just can't go there. Rocky and Henry eat them like they are going out of style. On toothpicks with their (virgin for the under 21 crowd) Blood Mary's. They salivate when we pass the olive bar in the grocery store. It's quite comical. Look mommy - those are stuffed with cheese. Hey Henry - look at these - they have jalapenos in them ... and these are seasoned ... you get the picture.

I knew this recipe would hit the spot for all of us ... well except for John. The only thing green he eats is sprinkles on his bagel. But I digress. Here's the scoop:

1 medium cucumber, peeled (I didn't bother), halved lenghtwise and sliced 1/4" thick

1 small Vidalia (or other sweet onion), halved and sliced 1/4" thick

6 Greek black olives (pitted)

1/2 C (2 ounces) feta cheese crumpled

3TBS olive oil

2 TBS white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper (or to taste)

salt (to taste)

• 
  
  Combine cucumber, onion, olives and cheese in a bowl. Toss gently to mix.
• 
  
  Stir together olive oil, vinegar, pepper and salt. Pour dressing over the salad and set aside at least 10 minutes for flavors to blend.

Oh my. And how could I forget ... pour a nice glass of Pinot noir and enjoy. You and your family will be sayin' pass the salad ... ol 'ive more.