Cucumber Dill Salad

Summerfield Delight | Cucumber Dill Salad

Growing up my mother would usually grow cucumbers in the back garden. The way home gardens usually work, you end up with one crop and a ridiculous abundance of that crop for about a two week period. Every summer, we would get so many cucumbers we wouldn't know how to eat them all. She would make a huge bowl of cucumber salad and it would be our veggie with just about any meal. Almost a quick-pickle recipe, this tart and spicy salad was a staple.

After moving out I didn't make this much, probably because I associated it with a huge portion, something that a twenty-something year old professional with a side-blogging career doesn't really want. Family sized recipes are great, but learning to make them as quick-easy meals for one and maybe a portion or two left over is something I have to learn when these recipes are stuck in my brain to feed a crowd. Now I can proudly say I will make a cucumber salad for just me, maybe with a veggie fritter or even just alone for a light lunch.

Knowing me, I probably hacked up my mothers version and forgot the "secret ingredient", but I like this version because it's so simple, and I usually have the ingredients on hand, esp. if using dried dill vs. fresh.

CUCUMBER DILL SALAD

makes about 3 cups of salad

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cucumber
  • 1/4 of a red onion
  •  4 tbs red wine vinegar
  • handful of fresh dill or            2 tbs dried
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • big pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Clean the cucumber, and cut off the ends. Then peel about 3/4 of the way, leaving some of the green between strands of peels. Slice evenly and as thin as possible without using a mandolin, these should be thin, but not too too thin. Do the same with the red onion, the slivers should be around 1-2 inches in length.  Add all ingredients in a bowl and let sit in the fridge for at least a half an hour before serving. It's even better if you can let it sit overnight, hence the reference to a quick pickle recipe.

For a nice twist add some fresh tarragon, and some crumbled feta with chopped kalamata olives.

 

Foodie FavoritesMeg S.recipe, summer, cucumber, salad1 Comment