Heirloom Tomatoes and Cucumber Salad with a Lemon-Tahini Dressing

After a trip to the farmers market on Sunday morning and only 15 minutes to make a dish to bring to a potluck, this beautiful healthy salad came about.  It will also be a good addition to your 4th of July table along with the expected potato or macaroni salad and coleslaw!

I hope you have a great sunny and safe holiday!  Happy 4th of July!

4 yellow, green and red Heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 Persian cucumber, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup julienned basil
2 teaspoons tahini (toasted sesame paste)
1 small garlic clove, pressed
The zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 to 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
A dash of cayenne pepper and cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Arrange the tomato slices on a platter.  Top with the cucumber slices, parsley and basil.

In a small bowl, combine the tahini, garlic and lemon zest.  Whisk in the olive oil and adjust seasonings with cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

Serves 6-8

Kale, Cucumber and Corn Salad

Not to sound like a bumper sticker but I love kale!  And kale is good for you! Rich in vitamins and minerals and high in fiber.  It has a whole list of specific benefits but that's good enough for me.  Cucumber is another good one for you, filled with vitamin C, potassium and magnesium.  It will keep you hydrated too and has been shown to reduce high-blood pressure! And then there is corn!  I loooove corn!  It is high in fiber and vitamins B and C.

So after a whole week of celebrating and eating out for almost every lunch and dinner, I needed something healthy but quick that I paired with a couple of gluten-free toast with a creamy Brie... What can I say, I'm French...

4 leaves of organic Tuscan or Black kale, stemmed
1/2 ear of organic corn, kernels removed from the cob
1 small organic Persian cucumber, seeded and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wash the kale leaves and dry.  Finely shred the leaves and place in a bowl.  Now you need to massage your kale to break down the fibers and make it more tender... It works... So squeeze it vigorously a few times with your hands.  Add the other ingredients to the bowl and toss.  Let stand a few minutes before eating.  This would be great with some Feta or shredded Parmesan as well.

Serves 1