TCF Salad

Men, side salads are important. Okay, stop laughing. But you can't eat french fries with every meal. So, here's a healthy recipe of mine that I've tried on my family several times. Each time, the serving bowl goes empty. Each time!

I call it the TCF salad. Tomato, cucumber, and feta. TCF.

Let's first list the stuff you need to get at the grocery store. Don't try to find this stuff (referred to as ingredients by many) in the cupboard or refrigerator. No. Just start fresh. Go to the store and buy this stuff. Fresh. "Fresh ingredients," tell your significant other.

You need the following stuff:

• 2 tomatoes, big fat red ones;
• 2 cucumbers;
• salt and pepper;
• red onion;
• red wine vinegar;
• oil oil (extra virgin, of course);
• feta cheese;
• dill; and
• parsley.

Get a big bowl. You're going to throw everything in there. 

• Dice the tomatoes. 
• Peel then chop into slices (like really thick silver dollar coins) the cucumbers.
• Chop the crap out of a half a red onion.
• Chop up the basil into little bits.
• Shake the plastic container of feta cheese. Should move around a bit. 

Then, toss together the tomatoes, cucumber, onions, basil, about 3 tablespoons of oil oil, about 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, and a 1/2 cup of feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper. And as usual, you're gonna have to be creative, add a little this and a little that. More of this. Maybe less of that. You decide. 

Now, if you've got a blender, and I do, then use it to make a dressing out of the olive oil, vinegar, and feta cheese. It makes a nice dressing and helps break up the clumps of cheese into little bits. To make recipes for my books, I purchased the https://secure.vitamix.com/7500.aspx

Here's what it looks like. 

The question is... How does it go with a burger?

Answer? Awesome. You've got to try my TCF salad. 
(TCF: tomato, cucumber, feta)

Here's what I ate with the TCF salad. A burger. I made several for the family to taste with the TCF salad. Here's a quick burger recipe to go with the TCF salad.

Purchase the patties. All ready to go on the grill. But you've got to season them first. 

A little salt and pepper.

Put all the patties on a large plate. Open the faces up to the seasoning all at once. Season. Flip the patties. Season the other side.

Grill.

Serve with salad.

Nice dinner. Made by a man. 

I'm not sure what my girls wrapped around my head. But that's appreciation.

Pair the burgers and salad with a good wine. I paired it with one of my favorite red wines.

Poggio Anima Belial Sangiovese Toscana IGT, 2011. Tuscany, Italy. 

Hand-harvest grapes. Rolling hills of Tuscany. Lots of good fruit taste. Warmth in a glass. Rich color. Dark red fruit. Taste of mocha, espresso, a puff of medium cigar smoke, and the smell of herbs on your grill. Beautifully balanced. Not heavy, but solid. Silky finish. Nice red wine.