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?

Meal: hamburgers and southwest potato salad
Cost per person: $1.60
Time: about 40 minutes, mostly hands off, plus time for the rolls
Leftovers: a couple of hamburgers, one serving of potato salad (which was part of my lunch later on in the week, and which was fabulous leftover)
Local ingredients: beef, potatoes, cheese, tomatoes
Organic ingredients: lemon juice, all-purpose flour

Half of this meal is pretty familiar: our hamburger buns and hamburgers made up of beef from Rocking F Farm. We made our burgers up by smashing the beef with Worcestershire sauce, if we have any on hand, and whatever combination of salt, pepper, garlic or onion powder, chili powder, and dried parsley we happen to have on hand and feel like that night. They go into a skillet for 5 minutes on a side.

However, we also tried something new with this: another recipe out of Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates, a recipe for Southwest Potato Salad. This was a hot potato salad, and a very different beast that your cold, typical picnic fare that tastes of nothing but mayonnaise.

Southwest potato salad

- 6 potatoes (about 2 pounds)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons diced shallots
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1/4 cup white balsamic or cider vinegar (we used cider)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro (we left out both, having no fresh herbs on hand)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

These are the original proportions; I halved the recipe. Boil the potatoes; while they’re boiling, mix the dressing ingredients. When the potatoes are done to taste, drain and mix with the dressing, and serve hot.

I really liked this; Jeff thought it was too vinegary. We may try it again, adjusting the amount of vinegar, or we may try other hot potato salad recipes.