I’m not usually much of a sardine person, but this is the time of year for meals that can be served cold. This Mediterranean-inspired salad is a light, healthy one-dish meal for a hot day. And, if you’re like me, you have enough mint in your yard to make this dish a gazillion times.

This is loosely based on a recipe in The Brothers Grimm Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Fairy Tales by Robert Tuesley Anderson. His version calls for a type of sardines that comes in tomato sauce, though my store didn’t have that — so I added some tomato paste to make up for it and adjusted the olive oil to balance it out. These are listed as optional below, so you can decide how much tomato you want in it. I also added a little feta and black olives to use up leftovers in the fridge. Folks, this is a salad; you can swap in or remove any ingredients you want. Just taste it and make adjustments to your liking.

This is going to be best when it’s fresh, so be sure to eat it right away or within the first day or so.

2 3.75-oz cans boneless, skinless sardines in tomato sauce -or- Mediterranean style with olive oil
1 c. dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, smashed
3 inches cucumber, diced
1 small red onion, minced
1/2 c. chopped mint
1/4 c. sliced black olives
1 lemon (grated zest and juice)
2 tbsp. or more crumbled feta (optional)
1/4 c. tomato paste (optional; use if your sardines don’t come with tomato sauce)
1-2 tbsp. olive oil (optional)
black pepper, to taste
1 tsp. Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)

Add the dried lentils to a large saucepan with 3 c. water. Sprinkle in some salt and add the smashed garlic clove. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 20-30 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain and let cool.

Flake the sardines into chunks and put them in a large salad bowl with their sauce. (If you live with cats, you can save this step for last.)

Add the lentils and the rest of the ingredients. Toss to combine.

Taste it and make any adjustments to the seasoning as you wish.

Serve while it’s fresh.