Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 medium red onion, finely sliced (about ắ cup) 1 large green or red bell pepper, cut into ẵ-inch cubes ẵ cup pitted kalamata olives, split in half 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled ẵ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano cup Mild Lemon- or Red WineOlive Oil Vinaigrette (here) Toss the tomatoes and cucumbers with ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper Transfer to a colander set in the sink and let drain for 30 minutes Meanwhile, place the red onion in a small bowl cover with cold water, and let stand for 30 minutes Then rinse and drain Carefully dry all the vegetables with paper towels Combine the tomatoes and cucumbers, red onions, bell pepper, olives, feta, parsley, and oregano in a large bowl Drizzle with the dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper Toss thoroughly and serve HOW TO BUY AND PREPARE CUCUMBERS Cucumbers are one of the oldest cultivated vegetables, and one of my favorites Peeled, cut, and sprinkled with a little salt, they are simultaneously savory and refreshing They’re fantastic marinated overnight in a little soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes; the salt in the soy sauce will draw out some of their liquid, so they get a superconcentrated flavor As a stir-fry ingredient, cucumbers are one of the most underused Oddly enough, cucumbers are one of the two foods my wife can’t stand (the other is tomatoes), so chicken stir-fried with cucumbers, fermented bean paste, and Sichuan peppercorns is one of my quick, easy, and delicious go-to staples when she’s out on a girls’ night While you can certainly simply slice whole cukes into salads, peeling and seeding them helps you make the most of their flavor and texture Shopping and Storage In the supermarket, you’re usually faced with three choices: • American cucumbers are dense fleshed and flavorful They have thicker skins than most other cucumbers, so I recommend removing it In any case, definitely give them a good scrub under cool running water to remove some of the food-grade wax that they usually come coated in They also have lots of watery seeds that ... some of their liquid, so they get a superconcentrated flavor As a stir-fry ingredient, cucumbers are one of the most underused Oddly enough, cucumbers are one of the two foods my wife can’t stand (the other is tomatoes), so... they are simultaneously savory and refreshing They’re fantastic marinated overnight in a little soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes; the salt in the soy sauce will draw out some of their liquid, so they get a superconcentrated... flavorful They have thicker skins than most other cucumbers, so I recommend removing it In any case, definitely give them a good scrub under cool running water to remove some of the food- grade