It's Thursday which means it's Farmer's Market day, which means I can load up on all my wonderful heirloom tomatoes and fresh peppers, cukes and all the other deliciousness that I can find there including meats, cheeses, breads, pastas, honeys, jams... Our farmer's markets are impressive and the more popular they become, the more impressive they get. If I could get nothing tomorrow but tomatoes, I would be a happy camper. I have been eating tomatoes every which way lately. The cherry and grape-sized varieties are my favorites these days for I can easily pop them into my mouth or simply halve them to start the base of a really good salad. And even though locally-grown lettuces are abundant, I have lately been opting to have my salads without, focusing almost exclusively on the tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh peppers that abound. Sometimes I'll toss in some fresh beets for a touch of sweetness and offset it with some goat cheese for softness, or some gorgonzola for a bit more of a bite. My variation of a Greek, or Mediterranean salad is pretty much my go-to. Add a slice of crusty bread and we have a fabulous lunch made in no time flat!

There's no right or wrong way to make this, and I usually just eyeball amounts depending on what I have. Here's a list of ingredients with estimated amounts. Feel free to alter as you wish - using more or less of those ingredients you prefer. Amounts below are for 1 individual serving. You can double, triple, quadruple as you wish!

INGREDIENTS:
6-8 small cherry, grape or other smaller sized tomatoes - I prefer to use a medley of red, yellow and green
1/2 small pickling cucumber, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 slices of jalapeño, chopped OR
1 tbs sliced green onion
1 small, or 1/4-1/2 sweet pepper, such as red, orange or multi-colored
6 Greek or Kalamata olives thinly sliced
Optional: 1/4 cup beets cut into bite sized pieces
1-2 tbs crumbled goat cheese
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
A dash of dried oregano
Drizzle of olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
As you prep your veggies toss them into a bowl, add the cheese, olive oil and spices and toss well. May eat immediately or set aside until ready to serve.