RECIPE I Dries' summer cucumber salad with za'atar, chili pepper and lemon

Ingredients

• 2 cucumbers
• 1 handful of finely chopped fresh green herbs: parsley, mint, dill, tarragon, basil
• 1-2 red chili peppers, finely chopped (depending on your preference for spiciness)
• 2 tablespoons za'atar
• 2 lemons, juice and zest
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed (optional)
• 3 chopped spring onions
• good handful of lamb's lettuce
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

Wash the cucumbers well and cut off the ends. Cut the cucumber lengthwise and remove the seeds, this way you keep the crunchy part of the cucumber. Cut the cucumbers into half moons.

1. Place the sliced cucumbers in a large bowl. Add the chopped green herbs, garlic, lemon zest and red chili peppers.
2. Add the small clumps of lamb's lettuce.
3. Just before serving, dress the salad with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix everything well so that the cucumbers are evenly covered with the dressing. Don't put all the lemon juice on at the beginning, taste and add more if you like a bit more acidity. Ditto for salt and pepper...

This salad is perfect as a light lunch or as a refreshing side dish for a summer BBQ.

Matching wines

This salad is perfect as a light lunch or as a refreshing side dish for a summer BBQ. With the salad on its own or combined with fresh, light ingredients such as a salmon tartare and ceviche-like preparation we would like to suggest the following wines.

- Bodegas Sanclodio Ribeiro I fresh white wine from authentic grape varieties from North-West Spain

- Cseri irsai Olivér I aromatic and fresh white from Pannonhalma in Hungary

For BBQ dishes with grilled meat preparations we would suggest the following wines, as the cucumber salad plays a more secondary role in the combination.

- Château Montdoyen l'Arlequin I powerful and spicy red from Bergerac

- Nittardi Ad Astra I juicy and charming power from the Maremma Toscana