Cucumber Tomato Salad

Ago's Notes

• When you double the recipe for a crowd, make only 1.5 times the dressing: the cucumbers and tomatoes release liquid as they sit, so a full double batch of dressing makes the salad too wet.
• Use a good red wine vinegar and an olive oil you would happily eat on bread, since the oil carries half the flavor of the dressing.
• If you have a mandoline, set it to 1/4 inch and slice the cucumber halves cut side down. Even slices season evenly and look neater on the plate.
• If raw red onion is too sharp for you, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat them dry before adding them to the salad.
• Spoon any leftovers over leafy greens the next day for a light lunch; the dressing at the bottom of the bowl works as a vinaigrette for the greens.

I love how this salad turns out: the cucumbers stay crunchy because salting pulls out their water, so the dressing never turns watery. It is the kind of cooking I enjoy most on hot days, with no stove, just good produce and a sharp knife. In Italy we would dress a salad like this with only oil, vinegar and salt, and the basil reminds me of a Caprese without the mozzarella; the teaspoon of sugar is the American touch. The taste is bright, tangy and just slightly sweet.