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Cucumber Salad

There are a lot of things that remind me of summers during my childhood, the smell of chlorine (we lived... seriously lived in the pool, this followed me into my teen years, first job, lifeguard/swim instructor) other smells... suntan lotion, anything cooking on the grill, fresh cut grass, other things in general... bare feet, not having to wear pants (see above pool comment), the list can go on and on... but we are here to talk about cucumber salad... which = summer.

Nana (my mom's mom) would make this, and so would my mom, when the cucumbers were the best, during the summer. It's a very easy recipe but is super delicious.

The first step is to slice the cucumbers with a mandolin... don't have one? That's ok, just slice them as thin as you can. Next in a colander placed over a bowl, layer the cucumbers and sprinkle a generous amount of salt over them. Walk away for an hour and let them sit at room temperature and release all their liquids.

After an hour come on back and rinse them really well, once rinsed, squeeze them with your hands to get as much water out of them as you can. Place in a bowl and top with equal parts seasoned rice wine vinegar(mom uses white vinegar so that works too) and water. Then sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper and paprika and stir, chill for an hour or overnight. Serve cold.


I told you, wicked simple :) My Mom and Nana always made this with white vinegar, but I wanted to give it a try this way since I received some Nakano Rice Wine Vinegar through Foodbuzz and wanted to try it out in something that would showcase its flavors. The verdict.... I'm totally making this with the seasoned rice wine vinegar again! White vinegar tastes good in this, but the rice wine gave it a little extra kick that I really enjoyed :)

14 chews:

so simple and fresh love it,

Jen said...

I love cucumbers. I'm going to have to make this!

Glad you enjoyed the shrimp/chorizo/lentil stew.

Anonymous said...

This is great for summer, when cucumbers are in abundance, especially if you have some plants growing. Last year I had a lot of cucumbers and made everything from pickles to relish etc.,
Thanks for sharing this classic, sounds great!
Peace, Stephanie

Astra Libris said...

Steph, I love how you took a day off from work to bake and sew - you are too cool!! I'm soooo glad I'm not the only "1950s housewife stuck in a 20-something body" - you soooo made my day when I read those words! :-)

Your cucumber salad looks so refreshing! I can taste the beach and warm breezes right now!

Special K said...

I was craigslisting a mandolin...I want to make some pretty layers...what do you recommend? How much should I spend?
Did you get in on the giveaway? Only 1 day left (see Living Trust!)
http://thespecialktreatment.wordpress.com

Pam said...

I love rice vinegar - simple food is the best.

Anne said...

Ooh this is so easy, but it looks delicious! I love it :D

I love rice wine vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned) and this is the perfect vehicle for it!

wow this sounds delicious! I love how refreshing cucumbers are in the summer!

Jennifer said...

I love cucumber salad, especially in summer! So crisp and light!

Reeni said...

I can't wait to try this with cukes from my garden! It sounds delicious!

Reeni♥ said...

I can't wait to try this with cukes from my garden! It sounds delicious!

Jennifer said...

I love cucumber salad, especially in summer! So crisp and light!

Astra Libris said...

Steph, I love how you took a day off from work to bake and sew - you are too cool!! I'm soooo glad I'm not the only "1950s housewife stuck in a 20-something body" - you soooo made my day when I read those words! :-)

Your cucumber salad looks so refreshing! I can taste the beach and warm breezes right now!

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