This North African salad will give you a wonderful new perspective on leeks. Uncooked, they are deliciously refreshing, especially when paired with tomatoes and cucumbers.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

　　3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　4 leeks, white parts only, sliced, well rinsed, and dried

　　2 ripe tomatoes

　　1 firm medium cucumber

　　At least 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro leaves

　　

Step 1

Whisk together the lemon and oil along with a healthy pinch of salt and several grindings of pepper. Toss with the leeks.

　　

Step 2

Core the tomatoes, then cut them in half horizontally and shake out the seeds, squeezing gently; chop. Peel the cucumber if necessary, then cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon; chop.

　　

Step 3

Combine all the ingredients, then taste and adjust the seasoning; refrigerate, if you like, for up to a couple of hours. Garnish with additional parsley or cilantro if you like.

　　

Leek and Olive Salad

Step 4

In step 2, substitute 1/2 cup pitted black olives, preferably oil-cured, for the cucumber.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.