These were the salad days...

Well there will be a super simple recipe this time and it's not even original to me.. it's just awesome... we got lebanese food for lunch today at work and Sue was over...the...moon....about the salad..we had fattoush with chicken on it, and garlic sauce... talk about an...aromatic office environment! Normally I don't make fattoush at home, because I don't put the pita chips in it..but the salad below is exactly that..fattoush without the pita chips..

You can put chicken on it, but it's also very, very good, nutritious and fresh tasting with a can of GOOD QUALITY white tuna tossed into it, nothing extra, just the tuna.

"The Salad Days.."

( this makes enough salad for 2 to pig out on.. )

1 romaine heart, try to keep the ribs of the leaves out, tear the leaves into chunks off of the ribs.. OR
1 small head green leaf lettuce or red lettuce
2 or 3 tomatoes, I use the Roma ones because I like the flavour and the flesh of them, and they cut into chunks so well  - which is what you need to do.... cut them into big chunks
2 lebanese cucumbers or a third of an english cucumber, cut into fork-size chunks
As much onion, sweet onion, as you like, sliced thickly and cut so that you have half or quarter rings 
2 cloves of garlic if you are going to be alone after you eat this, or 1 if you're not..for the sake of culinary excellence, please please please don't use garlic-in-a-jar or god forbid, garlic powder, for this.. take the time and trouble to use fresh garlic, trust me...
1 tsp of sea salt, ground
1 1/2  tsp of dried mint, fairly small... you can rub it between the palms of your hands when you make your salad so you don't get huge bits
very good quality olive oil
a big lemon

So!  All you do to make this is grind your salt onto your cutting board and make a little pile. Crush your garlic cloves with the flat of your knife and one good shot with the heel of your hand, that'll loosen the skin and it'l practically fall off...and put your clove of garlic on the salt pile to chop it.. you'll notice it doesn't stick to your knife blade and stays put to get chopped... put all of that in the bottom of a big salad bowl and add your lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions. Pour olive oil over it, one pass around will do, the more you make this you'll get your own idea of how much oil you want... I don't put too much on myself, maybe 2 tbsp
Cut your lemon in half and juice it over your salad... start with half a lemon and see if you like it stronger than that for next time.. rub your mint between your palms, over the salad, and mix it, making sure to get to the bottom for the garlic and the salt... do NOT make this any more than 10 or 15 minutes before you're going to serve it, because it will wilt! If you need to make it ahead of time, leave the tomatoes, oil and lemon juice to the side until just before you serve...

I hope you are as pleasantly surprised by this as I was. Wonderful with a piece of fish, a steak, the tuna tossed right into it, or with nothing at all.

Thanks, Wils, for showing me this salad allll those years ago, it's been a lifesaver!
( If you want fattoush, just make the above and add either baked or fried pita chips in it, and toss it...again, do this just before you serve it!! )

I'm off to have some kidlet n' mom time today at the Canadian War Museum, he's been there and I haven't so he's going to give me the guided tour...should be fun, it's a beautiful day, the sun is out, the sky is blue, my soul is content, and my fingers are crossed... Trev that's for you babe... I hope I hope I hope... that your road will lead home sooner than later... xoxo

Thanks all, who read me, enjoy and have a wonderful day..