Israeli Salad

Serves 4:

• 4 firm, ripe tomatoes, diced
• 4 unpeeled Israeli or Persian cucumbers, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons good quality extra-virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons parsley and/or cilantro and/or mint leaves, chopped (optional)
• salt, to taste

Place the diced vegetables in a bowl. Cut the lemon in half. Squeeze the juice of half the lemon into the bowl.

If you like your salad very lemony, remove the pits from the remaining lemon half and peel off the skin, including the white pith. Then, chop finely and add the juice and pulp to the vegetables. Otherwise, just squeeze the juice and discard the peel.

Taste with salt. Serve immediately.

Notes:

• For a variation, add a teaspoon of sumac.