Side Dish: Cucumber Salad
Normally I just kind of pick stuff out of the cupboard and throw it together and douse cucumbers with it. And it normally tastes pretty good, but I finally cracked open Betty Crocker to see what she had to say about cucumber salad, and this is much better than what I normally throw together. Go figure, right? I’ve been eating this like it’s going out of style, and will continue to do so while cucumbers are in season (eventually, you get tired of eating them plain). While they’re in season, it’s a dirt cheap and tasty side dish.
- a couple of medium cucumbers
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- dash pepper
- fresh dill or dried dill, to taste
Slice the cucumbers up thinly. Mix the dressing ingredients and pour over the cucumbers. The longer you let this chill, the better it is, but it’s also just fine freshly mixed. Betty Crocker says to drain off the dressing, which I find pretty silly, as the dressing is tasty all on its own.
What do you folks do with your vegetable bounty during the summer? What are some quick and easy side dishes when you get tired of plain, raw vegetables?
Jessie said,
July 29, 2007 @ 9:34 pm
My mom makes that salad almost every day during the summer. She also adds tomatoes and peppers if she has fresh ones from the garden. Yum!
JJ said,
July 30, 2007 @ 9:39 pm
You can also add a bit of sour cream and sliced onions to your recipe for something a bit different. I love the “marinated” cucumber in a cucumber sandwich.
I love to just slice tomatoes and cucumbers and layer them on a plate. If I have fresh mozzarella I’ll add that, or sprinkle over crumbled feta, goat or blue. Dress with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice or red wine vinegar (or even balsamic) and salt and pepper.
Summer squash: Thickly slice, toss with Italian dressing or just some olive oil, pepper, salt and basil and sliced onions and grill in my grill wok.
Cabbage: core, quarter, place in foil with a pat of butter and grill until the packet is easily smooshed.
Ohiomom said,
August 7, 2007 @ 2:06 pm
Homegrown tomatoes are my weakness. Cut in quarters or sliced with feta cheese, fresh parsley, salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil.