It’s that time of year when your garden may be overflowing with produce. My Simple Cucumber Salad is cool and refreshing, and a great way to use those extra cucumbers!
My usual cucumber salad is made with Greek yogurt and sour cream. This recipe is different: I use lemon juice and a bit of dill vinegar to make a clear simple dressing. Then, I add some chopped dill from my garden, some honey or maple syrup to balance out the tartness, a bit of salt and pepper, and thinly sliced peeled cucumbers for a cool fresh salad.
There’s one added step to let the cucumbers soften. After peeling and slicing the cucumbers, just place the slices in a colander and sprinkle with some salt. They will lose some of their “juice.” Then you can pour off the juice and add the dressing.
Enjoy!
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From the kitchen of A Food Lover’s Delight….
Simple Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
2 large cucumbers
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 t dill vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 T freshly chopped dill
1 t honey or maple syrup
salt and pepper
Method:
1. Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers.
2. Place the cucumber slices in a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle the cucumbers with a little bit of salt, stir, and set aside for about 30 minutes. This step will remove some of the liquid from the cucumbers, making them soft and silky.
3. Remove the cucumber liquid and discard or set aside for another use.
4. In a non-metallic bowl, combine the cucumbers, lemon juice, vinegar, dill, and honey or maple syrup. Stir lightly until cucumbers are coated with the dressing.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 as a salad side dish. Offer with my Grilled Lamb Meatballs and some warm pita, or alongside The Best Burger instead of fries.
Variations: Peel and slice some zucchini and add to the cucumbers. Add some finely chopped shallots or minced garlic for a different flavor. Skip the colander step if you prefer crispier cucumbers. Try fresh chopped basil or chives instead of dill.
www.afoodloversdelight.com (Copyright Adroit Ideals 2014)
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