By We drove to Wollaston Beach in Quincy again—third year running—and this time it was the four of us. Nora in a hat and sunscreen and the carrier, Liam in the water with Sean while I stood in the shallows with Nora on my hip. The Atlantic still fifty-eight degrees in July. Liam did not care. He went in to his waist and screamed with delight and came back to tell me about it and went back in. Nora looked at the ocean with the expression she's been developing for large things: slightly stunned, completely attentive.
The drive through Quincy afterward, the one we've been doing since last November. We do it without planning it—we're already down there, we have time, we drive the streets. The houses we liked in November. Some have sold. Some are still there. The yards are summer now instead of bare. Liam pointed at one—a yellow cape on a quiet street with a maple in front—and said "that's a nice house." I looked at Sean. Sean looked at me. We said nothing. Some things you note and continue.
The budget math has been changing. Sean got a raise in January—before everything—and I've been picking up a shift here and there since coming back in June. The down payment is getting closer to the number. Not this year. But not impossible in two.
Made gazpacho on Sunday—cold soup for the hot week—from the fire escape tomatoes and the peppers from the market. Liam called it "cold tomato soup" and was skeptical but ate a bowl on the porch. "It's okay," he said, meaning it was good. Liam says "it's okay" for things that meet a high standard. I know this code.
The gazpacho used up most of the fire escape tomatoes, but I had peppers and cucumbers left from the market run, and honestly the week was too hot to let anything go to waste. This Armenian garden salad is what I made alongside it—same impulse, same ingredients, just a different form. Liam rated it “it’s okay,” which, as I mentioned, is high praise. We ate it on the porch in the shade and it was exactly right for where we were.
Armenian Garden Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
Instructions
- Chop the vegetables. Dice tomatoes, cucumber, and bell pepper into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Finely dice the red onion. Add everything to a large bowl.
- Add the herbs. Scatter the chopped parsley and mint over the vegetables and toss gently to combine.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or directly over the salad, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano if using.
- Dress and rest. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Let sit for 5–10 minutes at room temperature so the flavors come together and the tomatoes release a little juice.
- Taste and serve. Adjust salt and lemon to taste. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Best eaten the day it’s made.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 115 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 8g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 300mg