Simple sides, part II: The book sale

This is the year Mom finally overtook my enthusiasm for the biannual Friends of the Library book sale. All it took was Cassie sending us her list of books she was interested in, and Mom was all over it; she must have found 75% of what Cassie was looking for. Mom usually can't even make it through the whole two hours of the Friday evening pre-sale (though she's not as bad as the "Vulture"), but this time she went each of the first three days, outspending me by at least four-to-one each time. She even went once without me, which used to be unheard of. Here is part of the take from just the first evening of the sale (don't look too closely if you don't want any surprises spoiled):

It's a good thing that used books fall under an express exemption from Dylan's new holiday book gifting policy (though I don't know that we found anything  intended especially for Dylan, given the catholicity of his tastes).

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If you have a ripe avocado in your fridge and you're tired of making Avocado Toast, give this salad a try. It's ridiculously easy to throw together, but delivers a high ratio of flavor to prep time expended. The contrasting textures of the creamy avocado and crispy cucumber are especially intriguing. Mom and I have had it a few times already, and enjoyed it more each time. 

Cucumber and cilantro fresh from this morning's City Market

Avocado and Cucumber Salad with Iceberg Lettuce

Avocado and Cucumber Salad

Adapted from Julia Turshen via Deb Perelman and Smitten Kitchen

Time from start to finish: 12 minutes

You can add some thinly sliced iceberg lettuce or romaine hearts to bulk this up into more of a light main dish if you like.

One ¾ to 1 pound English cucumber (the long, thin kind pictured above; you can substitute regular cucumber(s))
1 large avocado
2 tablespoons (28 grams) good mayonnaise (I like Trader Joe's Organic, but most people swear by Hellmann's or Duke's)
juice of half a lime
kosher salt
hot sauce (such as Sriracha), to taste
minced cilantro (preferably) or Italian flat-leaf parsley

    1. Wash the cucumber, then trim the ends and peel it. Cut the cucumber in half crosswise. Cut each half in half again lengthwise, then scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each quarter in half again lengthwise, then cut the quarters crosswise into ½-inch chunks. Place in a serving bowl.
    2. Wash the avocado, then remove the pit, and cut each half into ½-inch chunks still in the skin. Scoop the pieces into the bowl with the cucumber.
    3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, lime juice, and salt and hot sauce to taste. Pour over the cucumber and avocado chunks and stir gently to combine. Garnish with the cilantro or parsley. Serves 4 as a side.