Just Life| Salad Shirazi & More

It has been so hot and muggy lately. As you know, I grew up in Tehran and in Tehran we have many hot summer days. There a few side dishes that make hot summer days a bit more tolerable, Salad Shirazi and Cantaloupe Faloodeh were two of them. 

Salad Shirazi is the traditional salad in Iran. It is a simple salad made of:

Persian cucumbers (You can find it at Trader's Joe or even the Dollar store)

Ripe tomatoes

Onions (I like red onion)

Dry mint leaves (just a little bit)

Fresh lemon juice or lime juice

Red vinegar 

Olive oil

Just chop cucumber, tomato, and onion into small cubes and mix them in a bowl. Add a bit of salt to this mixture and make a simple sauce by mixing some fresh lemon juice with olive oil and red vinegar. In my house, we also add some dry mint to it. It is really a simple and refreshing salad.

Another of my favorite side dishes to beat the summer heat is Cantaloupe Faloodeh. 

When I was a kid, I used to make it for my family. It was easy to make and it was delicious.

To make it, you need:

• Ripe Cantaloupe
• Rose water (a table spoon)
• Sugar (a couple of tablespoons)
• Crushed ice

First scoop spoonfuls of cantaloupe into a bowl then add a tablespoon of rose water and a couple tablespoons of sugar to the bowl. Mix well. Then, just leave it in the refrigerator or add some crushed ice to it. It is so refreshing. It is a combination of a fruit juice and fruit pulp with fragrant rose water. It is worth trying.

And since I am talking about Persian cooking, let's not forget the Iranians' favorite smoothie called Shir Moz. 

You just add milk, bananas, a bit of sugar, and crushed ice into a blender. The result is a mouth watering and simple smoothie.

Did you know that your local library has many cook books? Don't forget to check out some delicious cookbooks on your next trip to the library.

Happy eating and happy cookbook hunting.

Signing off until next Monday- Panteha