October
Israeli Salad
In honor of our October Program, the story of the song Jerusalem of Gold.
This Salad evolved from a Turkish salad known as Shepherd’s salad, closely related to the Persian salad known as Shirazi named for the ancient city of Shiraz. The salad has several variations. In the late 1800’s the salad became popular on the Kibbutzim because it was simple to make and the ingredients were readily available; from then on, the Israelis called it their own.
The basic components are chopped tomatoes and cucumbers topped with lemon juice, oil , and salt. Other ingredients are often added. The vegetables can be chopped very small, but some prefer a more chunky texture.
Serves 4 – 6. Prep time 15 min. Easy and healthy. Use a sharp knife to cut.
2 Cups diced tomatoes
2 Cups diced cucumbers (baby ones are good)
½ Cup diced yellow/ orange bell pepper (opt)
¼ Cup red onion, diced
½ Cup finely chopped parsley
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste, pepper if you wish.
Combine all. Refrigerate until serving. Cutting long thin strips of lemon peel to place on top makes a nice garnish.