Office Lunch

Yes...I confess....I am a lunch bringer, not a lunch buyer.  I miss out on a lot of great restaurants and some socializing, however, I like the food I make.  A restaurant rarely makes me as happy about a lunch as what I could have brought from home.  That doesn't mean I am bringing gourmet meals, actually far from it.

I present you with Exhibit A...

At 7 am while making my morning smoothie, I pull out of the fridge, a cucumber and fennel fronds (remember they taste like dill?).  From the cupboard came a small onion, roughly 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.

Dice the onion first, sprinkle it with the sugar and set aside while you do the rest.  That allows the onions to soften and some of the bite will be taken out.  This particular morning I was feeling brave and used the mandolin on the cucumber.  Lucky for me, no fingers we cut off in the process (a valid concern since it has happened before).  I'm guessing that is about 2 tablespoons of diced fennel fronds.  Toss it all together and package to take to work.

Then consume at your desk like a lonely person...

Just in case you are wondering about salt, I didn't add any when I put everything together in the morning.  I keep salt and pepper shakers at my desk and then try the food before adding.  This solves a few problems

1. I don't feel like tasting for seasoning at 7 am.
2. Salt will pull the moisture from the cucumbers and make them softer by the time lunch comes around. Not particularly a problem, but I like crispy cucumbers.
3. If I am not in the mood for salty food, I can leave the salt out all together and give my heart a break. 

Of course, go ahead and salt if you feel like it.  It is your cucumber salad after all.

P.S. I don't actually measure things when I am putting them together.  The above are just estimates so give it a go and just give a splash rather than measuring.  Saves some dirty dishes and adds a bit of adventure to the day.