A rainbow of salad yumminess.

OK. I think I have mentioned this before and if not, I know that I am not going to tell most of you anything you didn't already know.

Smittenkitchen.com rocks.

She just does. I can only dream that one day I could write or photograph like her. I am nowhere near....

BUT - earlier this week I needed to catch up on her blog and found this amazing looking salad.

OMG!!! So beautiful. And full of yummy peppers and tomatoes and cucumbers and onions and feta. My 2nd niece's dream meal. She does love veggies...what 3 year old do you know who loves peppers and cucumbers?? She insists that I am growing tomatoes just for her to eat. Honestly, she can have anything she wants. As can her sisters and brother. I am her aunt, afterall.

She ate it tonight - as did her father. They both liked it. My mom - she, as I suspected, prefers no onion.

But I digress.

I had to make this. I bought everything needed - in 3 trips, as I forgot the feta (hello!! key ingredient!!) and the tomatoes (umm...hi??).

Honestly, this is an easy recipe. No cooking. Beautiful presentation. Perfect summer food and a great way to use that which fills your garden. The hardest part??? The chopping.

Chopping cheese. Not so hard, really.

Chopping onions.

Chopping tomatoes.

Chopping red peppers.

Chopping orange peppers.

Chopping yellow peppers.

You get the picture.

But gosh - was it worth it!!! Yummo!!!

My only suggestion - watch the salt. She suggests salt in the vinegrette and then adding to taste at the end. The feta is also salty. So...maybe hold back a little on the dressing and on the ending seasoning and do some tasting. Oh for shame. Tasting.

And I made mine Tuesday night and ate it for lunch on Wednesday. It was still fairly crunchy - and really so tasty. So it CAN be made ahead of time.

Thing I learned - the marinading of the red onion really did mellow the flavor. I am amazed.

So so yummy. Go make it now. Go make it for your 4th of July parties. Go make it for dinner.