At this time of year, my gardens are full of fresh, aromatic mint, and I’m never quite sure what to do with all of it! I enjoy walking next to the garden beds it’s spilling out of, brushing up against the leaves, and breathing deeply of the scent they release, but other than that, and using the tall straight spears in flower bouquets and arrangements, I’m at a bit of a loss.

Enter this fantastic summer salad! The base is chickpeas (though I’m sure a white bean would work equally well) and another winning ingredient is roasted bell peppers - the variety you’ll find on store shelved in jars with olive oil - and there’s some cucumber thrown in for crunch, some onion for zip, and feta cheese that adds to the texture… but the star of the show is fresh mint!

I encourage you, as I often do, to use the recipe as a bit of a guide, adding, subtracting, and substituting with whatever you have on hand or with whatever sounds good to you. I think diced tomatoes would be yummy, and I was even wishing I had some kumquats on hand to slice into it. (Oh, and how ‘bout some sunflower seeds added just before serving?)

Whatever you toss in there, be generous with the mint, and make it up ahead of time, because it needs a few hours minimum in the fridge to allow the flavors to marry and the mint leaves to soften a bit.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 2 cups canned roasted bell peppers, chopped

• 1 cup peeled cucumber, diced (same size as chickpeas)

• 1/2 cup diced red onion

• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, washed, and diced

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup lime juice

• 2 Tablespoons honey

• 2 Tablespoons mustard

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In large bowl combine all salad ingredients, except for feta cheese, folding to mix well.

2. In a small bowl, mix lime juice, honey, and mustard, then add 2-3 drops of the olive oil, and when well incorporated, add remaining oil in a steady stream whilst mixing. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pour dressing over salad, folding again, then top generously with feta cheese.