RSSJames T. Farmer III
Cool as a Cucumber: Cucumber Salad
On the hottest summer days, a refreshing and cool treat is hard to pass up. Thinly sliced, set on ice, and seasoned with a dash of basil, salt and pepper, this easy breezy salad is sure to be a hit at your table.
Shallots or Vidalia onions make for lovely complements to this dish, and a bath of white balsamic vinegar is the perfect dressing. I sweeten the vinegar with just a spoonful of sugar, and this step actually adds a depth of flavor and volume as well, contrasting the bitter, salty and tangy of the onions, cucumbers and vinegar. If you love onions, go with Vidalias. If you merely like onions, stick with shallots for a milder flavor -- it's a winner either way. A few leaves of basil, shredded or julienned, add a marvelous dose of flavor that only fresh garden herbs can. The small leaves of African blue basil are ideal, but any good basil will do!
This strikingly beautiful dish has a special place in my heart, for it is one of the first things I ever learned how to prepare. The soft green and cool white of the cucumbers, their opalescence, the ice chips, the crisp onions and sharp vinegar make for a sensual dish -- engaging sight, smell, taste and touch.
Cucumber Salad
Serves 4-6.
3-4 small cucumbers, sliced "quarter thin"
1 small Vidalia onion or 2 small shallots
3/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
Teaspoon of sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Handful of ice chips
Slice the cucumbers into thin discs. Slice onion or shallot into thin pieces or strips. Mix together in a bowl.
In a saucepan, combine vinegar and sugar and heat over medium flame until sugar dissolves (this can also be done in a microwave). Add salt and pepper to taste, and mix. Pour over cucumbers and onion, and add a few ice chips to chill the salad. Serve cold and enjoy!
(
Twitter: @ihavenet
Available at Amazon.com:
Be Good to Your Gut: Recipes and Tips for People With Digestive Problems
MORE RECIPES: DESSERT | PASTA | SEAFOOD | WOLFGANG PUCK
- The Fresh Lime Margarita as It Was Meant to Be Made
- Gruyere-Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog Melts with Horseradish Mustard
- Eleventh-Hour Freezer Pasta, Made Interesting
- Healthy Macaroni and Cheese
- Sweet Grilled Salmon Fillets Recipe
- Chicken Salad Nicoise: A Colorful Main Dish Salad
- Cool as a Cucumber: Cucumber Salad
- Confetti Cucumber and Radish Salad Recipe
- The Pure Taste of Summer: Corn and Tomato Soup
- Portobello Mushroom Burgers
- Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole
- Chili, Lemon and Basil Shrimp with Israeli Couscous
- Fall is for Fresh Figs
- What to Do with Excess Bounty of Summer: Skillet Jam
- Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe
- Israeli Couscous With Grilled Peaches and Pistachios Recipe
- Ginger-Spiced Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream and Crushed Raspberries
- Peach Melba Cobbler: Simple American Dessert with a French Touch
- Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe
- Heirloom Tomatoes with Peaches and Burrata
- Figure Figs into a Healthy Diet
- Moroccan-Style Grilled Eggplant
- Grilled Whole Carrots With Fresh Nutmeg Recipe
- Summer Salad Straight from the Farmers Market
- Cool as a Cucumber: Cucumber Salad
- Lobster Salad with Green Beans, Apple and Avocado
- Creamy Grits with Corn, Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomatoes
- Working Wonders with Cauliflower
- Lemon Braised Chicken and Beans with Mint Pesto
- Healthier Homemade Chicken Nugget That's Better Than Takeout
- Big Bold Burrito with a Fraction of the Calories
- Waking Up to Yerba Mate
- Look to Label for Food Allergens
- How Much Water to Drink? Advice on Water Intake and More
- Summertime Plums - Plum-and-Almond Tartlets
- Granitas - Desserts For a Hot Summer's Day
- Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
- Crostatas: Pie on the Fly
- Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks With Port And Peppercorn Sauce
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin With Cocoa Chile Rub Recipe
- Bite-size Buffalo Burgers
- Stir-Fried Pork with Sugar Snap Peas
- Cioppino (San Francisco Fish Stew) With Bruschetta
- Fish and Avocado Ceviche
- Warm Chickpea Salad with Cumin and Garlic
- Summer Vinaigrette
- Spiced Cherry-Lime Salsa Salsa Recipe
- Giving Eggplant Its Due: Braised Eggplant and Tomatoes
- Kitchen Wisdom: Volume I
- Berries Are Berry Good For Your Health
- Eco-eating: Delicious Family-friendly Salads
- 3 Forgotten Beauty Foods
- Fab Foods: When it Comes to Knowing What to Eat, Lists Can Be Helpful
- 'Food Miles' Movement Fueled by Local Food
- How the New USDA Guidelines Change Your Meals
- Plum-Ginger Crisp
- Savor the Plum in this Fancy Fruit Plum Almond Tart
- Cheesecake with Caramelized Apples
Cool as a Cucumber: Cucumber Salad
Copyright © 2011 ONE FOR THE TABLE. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES INC.
Advertisement
|
GOURMET RECIPES
World-renowned chefs with an extraordinary passion for food share their passion on iHaveNet.com. These chefs make great cooking easier than imagined. Each gourmet recipe features expert advice and an easy-to-make recipe. Exactly what you need to transform your home cooking from acceptable to delectable
- ALL RECIPES
- APPETIZERS
- SOUPS
- PASTA
- SALADS
- MAIN COURSES
- SEAFOOD
- CHICKEN
- PORK
- LAMB
- BEEF / VEAL
- VEGETARIAN
- SIDE DISHES
- DESSERT
- HEALTHY
- WOLFGANG PUCK
