Southwestern Three-Bean Salad

It's been a long time since I've made a three-bean salad, and I always end up wondering why I wait so long between times.  The "Southwestern Three-Bean Salad" (page 78) is a delightful variation on a theme.  The three beans used are pinto, red kidney, and black, and to this you add corn, red bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro.  Already this has the makings for the Southwestern theme.  But the clincher is the blended dressing, made from fresh plum tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder and cumin.  The recipe calls for olive oil, but instead I just added extra tomato, and in place of the apple cider vinegar, I used lime, as I felt this would be less tart, and more authentic for the Southwestern theme.  What a colorful and great tasting salad this is, and good for a crowd, it makes a lot!