Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Feta Cheese

1 whole cucumber
5 or 6 cherry tomatoes
feta cheese
olive oil
oregano
red wine vinegar
salt & pepper

Peel the cucumber, trim the ends, cut it lengthwise, scoop the seeds out with a spoon and cut into smallish cubes. Cut the tomatoes in half and add them to a bowl with the cukes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, a grind of fresh black pepper and some dried oregano, ¼ to ½ Tsp.. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, mix contents lightly, add a drizzle of the vinegar and mix again. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour or so. Add the feta cheese (crumbled or cut into small pieces) just before serving, use a ¼ cup or more. Serve chilled and enjoy.

Serves 1 or 2

Pita bread goes well with this as does crusty bread, black olives and a glass of Chardonnay.

Fresh Tomato Salsa With Chipotle And Lime

Tomato season is here and this tart and spicy salsa is a great way to use some of that ripe red deliciousness out in your garden. It goes great with beer and tortilla chips and my brother in law from Texas gave it a big thumbs up and then he went and got another beer.

Fresh Tomato Salsa With Chipotle And Lime

4 medium size ripe garden tomatoes, cored, seeded, and
chopped
1/4 red onion, minced
2 or 3 dried Chipotle chilies
½ bunch cilantro, leaves only, chopped
2 generous tablespoons fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
½ Tsp. canola oil
a good grind of fresh black pepper

Boil a pan of water. Shut off the heat. Add the Chipotles, cover and allow to rehydrate for 60 to 90 minutes. When the chilies are tender drain them, remove the stems and seeds and chop well.

In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. Stir well, taste and correct the seasoning if necessary then refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.