Fresh & Easy Cucumber Salad
This was the first year we’ve had our garden in our new home. We created two raised garden beds that are surrounded by a fence to keep out the rabbits, deer, and wild turkeys. When you plant a new garden, it is always a learning experience. You find out what vegetables grow best where, how much sun your garden gets during the summer, and even what vegetables grow best in your soil.
At this time, our tomatoes are growing like weeds, we’ve had a few crops of green beans, unfortunately our zucchini have not produced fruit, but we do have lots of zucchini flowers daily. Our cucumbers though, they have taken over the garden.
The cucumbers actually seem to grow overnight, and if I don’t go and pick them daily they will grow too large and become bitter, so I feed the oversized cucumbers to my chickens who love them.
This summer will be remembered as the summer of tomato and cucumber salads as I think we have eaten this salad on a daily basis since our tomatoes first began to ripen the end of July. Every once in a while I want to do something different though, and this past week after picking more cucumbers than usual one day, I decided to make a cucumber salad.
This is the kind of salad I grew up on since we always had a vegetable garden growing up. Though my Mom used most of the small cucumbers to make pickles for us to enjoy during the colder months, a couple of times a week, she would make this salad for dinner as a side dish.
This salad can be prepared in just a few minutes, and using a mandolin is the easiest way to slice the cucumbers evenly. The salad packs well for picnics or outdoor dining and will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator. As long as you are using small, fresh cucumbers, or English cucumbers you do not need to peel them.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Fresh & Easy Cucumber Salad
A bright and fresh tasting salad that packs well for outdoor dining.
Ingredients
- 6 Small Cucumbers, or 2 Large English Cucumbers, Thinly Sliced
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 3 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Sugar or Honey
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Parsley
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Dill
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Pepper
- 1/4 Medium Red Onion, Very Finely Sliced
Instructions
- Place the cucumbers in a sieve or colander and sprinkle with the salt.
- Place a plate over the cucumbers and then top with a heavy can.
- Allow the cucumbers to drain excess water for 30 to 60 minutes.In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, honey, parsley, dill, and pepper.
- Dump the cucumbers onto a plate covered with a couple of paper towels, then pat dry.
- Place the cucumbers and onions in the bowl with the dressing and toss to mix.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 86Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 269mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g
