Cucumber, Endive, and Heirloom Tomato Salad

In the heat of the lazy dog days of summer (pun intended) I try to make my life and my meals as easy as possible. I use simple, yet flavorful ingredients and let them do the heavy lifting.

Take this simple salad I made to go along with my mushroom burgers. I chopped up some endive, which I have in my refrigerator at all times during the spring and summer months because I love it’s delicate flavor, and combined it with cucumbers and heirloom tomatoes. I brought out their deliciousness with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Easy. Simple. Yummy.

no fuss. no mess.

That’s how I roll most of the year, and especially in the summer. I hate cleaning lots of dishes. I love meals I can make in one pot or one pan. It doesn’t get simpler or easier than a salad!

Even the colors of this salad make me want to just eat the picture!

That’s another thing that makes food appetizing – the colors. And I love food that has lots of color because I know that’s where all the phytonutrients are is in the colors. I’m not talking about artificial colors, I’m talking about the color of REAL food. Summertime is when you can find most colorful foods in season, especially if you grow it yourself! Unfortunately, I didn’t grow these vegetables myself, but I’m still waiting for my harvest…

Every meal counts!

When it comes to the protective benefits of food, every meal and every vegetable counts! Maybe that’s one reason I love salads so much. Most doctors will tell you that you should aim for 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Well, if you’ve had any health issue, you would be well-served to increase that to 8-12 servings of fruits and (mostly) vegetables each day. The only way you can accomplish this is to make sure you consume them at every opportunity. Every meal. Every snack.

So give this salad a try and make your next meal count!