Michigan Cottage Cook: ANNE'S COLORFUL BELL PEPPER SALAD----ITALIAN-STYLE OR GREEK-STYLE.

Anne's cool, crispy, and colorful salad is just perfect for the hot days we are having this summer. The salad is also a wonderful use of all the fabulous peppers that are available in the farmer's markets this time of year.

Ann calls this her garbage bowl salad as she likes to put everything from her refrigerator into it. I like the salad because it can be made either as an Italian Salad or a Greek Salad to compliment whatever you are having for dinner. I haven't given many quantities for ingredients as it is pretty much how much you prefer for each vegetable.

Extremely good for you nutritionally, this salad made with fat-free dressing has only the fat from the cheese in it. You can reduce the amount of cheese if you desire.

I really like garbanzo beans, chickpeas, in salads. If you don't, substitute a pinto, red or white kidney, Navy, or bean of your choice. The beans add a bit of protein and water-soluble fiber to the dish.

Fresh herbs like basil and/or oregano make a nice addition to Anne's Salad.

ANNE'S COLORFUL BELL PEPPER SALAD----ITALIAN-STYLE OR GREEK-STYLE
Sweet Bell Peppers, in three different colors

English cucumber, about 1/2, quartered and sliced

1 can (16oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinse, pinto or red kidney work well too

Sweet or red white onion, chopped

Black olives, pitted and cut in half

Asiago or Parmesan cheese, shredded

Black pepper

Ingredients: Fresh sweet bell peppers, English cucumber, sweet onion, black olives, garbanzo beans, Asiago cheese, and black pepper.

I added a couple of fresh Serrano peppers to my salad. They didn't make the salad hot. They just upped the flavor.

FOR ITALIAN-STYLE SALAD

For the Italian-style salad, add some Italian Herb seasoning, and an Italian dressing. Ann likes the Balsamic Vinaigrette, but any of these dressings would compliment the salad.

Italian seasonings
Balsamic dressing, Zesty Italian dressing, or Tuscan dressing

FOR GREEK-STYLE SALAD

For the Greek-style salad, which is what I made, you need Greek salad dressing, Greek seasonings, and some Feta cheese.

Greek seasonings
Feta cheese, crumbled
Greek salad dressing

Drain and rinse the beans.

Cut the peppers into bite-size pieces. Chop the sweet onion. Cut the cucumber into fourths and slice.

This may look like a piece of junk to everyone else but it is dear to my heart. It is my Grandma's drainer to put scraps in from the vegetables so they don't clog the sink. We did not have garbage disposals at home or in the cottage.