Mediterranean Summer Salad

 Could this be any more beautiful??  I love summer veggies!  This is inspired by my all-time favorite Vegetarian Times recipe - the Toasted Panzanella Salad.  I bulked it up with beans and quinoa to make it a complete meal.  This is the perfect salad to take to a picnic or bbq or to impress your friends with when you have them for dinner.   I could pretty much live on this stuff...and ice cream.  

Serves 4 as a side, 2-3 as a main dish

2 organic cucumbers, quartered, seeded, then diced (peel the cucumber if it's not organic)
4 organic roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄4 cup fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons (stack the leaves on top of one another, roll into a "cigar" and slice thin)
1⁄2 small red onion, finely chopped
1⁄4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2-3 tsp capers, drained
2 Tbsp red wine or plum vinegar
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp agave
zest of 2 lemons
juice of half a lemon
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked quinoa
pepper to taste

Cook the quinoa, allow to cool.

Cook garlic with a drizzle of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat.  Allow to cool.

Place remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  When quinoa and garlic are cool add them to the bowl and stir, combining well.  Season with pepper to taste.  Try it before adding any salt - it should be nice a salty with the olives and capers. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Enjoy!

p.s. it's about 90% raw!

p.p.s. Get a whole grain loaf of bread, cut into cubes, toss with olive oil, and bake on 350° for 10-15 minutes.  Toss your home-made croutons in the salad...you'll die.