This is my mother’s other cucumber salad.
Yes, she had two, which was rare for her as she normally had one recipe per food,
This one, I think, is probably more traditional from her German parents, with just the sugar and vinegar.
It’s also quicker to make.
Like most old-fashioned recipes, the ingredient quantities are more suggestion than absolute…. Adjust to taste.
Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad
Total time: 10 minutes
plus 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 2 – 3 cucumbers
- 1 tbs salt
- 2 tbs sugar
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 tbs fresh chives, snipped
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions:
- Peel cucumber and thinly slice, using a box slicer, food processor or mandolin.
- Put 1/3 of the cukes in a deep bowl, sprinkle 1/3 salt.
- Repeat twice.
- Place a small plate or bowl, that will rest directly on the cucumbers, on top. Add a weight of some sort to add pressure to the cukes, and let sit for an hour.
- Drain, rinse lightly and squeeze dry.
- Add remaining ingredients, mix well.
- Serve. This gets better the next day.
It’s been very hot here all week and our house is losing its cool. These old stone walls are finally absorbing the heat.
Three days ago coming in from outside was like walking into an air-conditioned room.
Now, it’s still cooler, but only a little. Hopefully, today is the last day of the high heat.
In addition to the hot weather the moths have invaded, making it impossible to eat on the balcony by candle-light as one is constantly bombarded by kamikaze moths.
It’s also the beginning of giant spider season, which normally lasts for about 4 weeks in late summer. Mon mari has had to dispatch 3 of them in the last 3 days – with a big hammer.
To round things out the centipedes have been having a convention on the walls in the upstairs hall…. Only the biggest ones have showed up so far, but more are expected.
I have not been a happy person this week.
But these last sunflowers, the ones that I thought would never grow, have finally managed to bloom, after the others have all started dying back.
It’s a sparse showing, but….
It makes me happy.
I thought the thunder followed by a splash of rain this morning would make it cooler but the heat is building up again outside.
Near us there are two fields of sunflowers in full bloom, both on distant hillsides but in opposite directions. Unfortunately we never have any planted close enough to view from our house but we do see them wherever we go to do our shopping.
You really have an unfair share of creepy crawlies
Gill, they’re so pretty when they bloom – and so ugly in the weeks leading up to harvest…
Kate, way too many – luckily it usually only lasts 5 – 6 weeks. (please!)