Cucumber Salsa on Toast

This is a recipe for a super-simple, light summer meal with appeal that couldn't be tastier and easy to make if you don't mind taking a shortcut.

First, slice a whole-grain baguette on the bias, then brush it with some extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle it with freshly ground salt and pepper, and broil it for a few minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn't burn! Once they're golden, take the pieces of toast of of the oven and put them on a rack to cool. Of course, you could add some garlic if you wanted, but I don't think it's necessary once you see what goes on top. I did try smoked sea salt, too, once, but the smokiness got lost in the salsa. Hmmm . . . maybe I'll use

some bacon fat rendered from some Benton's hickory smoked bacon the next time I make it! That should make this dish even MORE irresistable.

Next, peel a fresh cucumber (the fresher the better!), slice it into 8ths, and use a paring knife to remove the seeds while keeping as much of the flesh as possible. Chop those slices large enough so the flavor of the

cucumber doesn't get lost in the salsa, but small enough so it will blend well and spoon easily.

Finally, mix the chopped cucumber with salsa, and spread it on the pieces of toast. The result is crunchy, crispy, fresh, and healthy! What salsa, you ask? Well, this is where you can get creative. Anyone who likes gazpacho can easily imagine mixing the cucumber into traditional tomato salsa, but the first time I did this, I mixed it with some

mango-peach salsa from the deli department at my local supermarket. Oh, was it good—salty, sweet, and voluptuous! The next time I made it, I used roasted garlic salsa, and I added some chopped chicken-apple sausage to give it a bit of sweetness. It was a hit, too!

What do I love about this dish? It's delicious, so healthy, and easy to make. It's a great offering for a potluck, too, and nobody has to know that you didn't make the salsa from scratch!

Enjoy!