Erica's Summer Salad
2 large or 3 small cucumbers
3 tomatoes
a few sprigs of basil
olive oil
ume plum or balsamic vinegar (optional)
sea salt
This salad is the epitome of summer - perfect for a hot summer day! Chop cucumbers and tomatoes and combine in a bowl. Add finely chopped basil. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar (if desired). Salt to taste. Eat pronto or let it marinate in the fridge for a few hours. We also like to make this salad with tamari/soy sauce instead of salt. Enjoy!
Mizeria (Polish Cucumber Salad)
Pictured: Mizeria in middle bowl, Chlodnik (Polish Cold Beet Soup) in two side bowls).
2 large Chicago Pickling cucumbers
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon finely cut Kind Richard Leeks
1 tablespoon finely cut fresh Bouquet Dill
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Peel cucumbers and slice lengthwise and remove the seeds. Slice as thin as possible, no more than 1/8 inch. Spread out the slices and sprinkle with salt. After 20 minutes pat and press with a paper towel. Combine the sour cream, vinegar, leeks, dill, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Toss in bowl with cucumbers. Chill.
-- Recipe by Joe Staniszewski
Sesame Kale Amaranth Cucumber Salad
Alive Vates kale (or other type of frilly kale)
Hopi Red Dye amaranth
Early Fortune cucumber
Sesame oil
Walnuts and/or salted cashews
Sesame seeds and salt (optional)
Rinse and tear up kale into smaller pieces. Mix kale with amaranth in a bowl. Add a tablespoon or more of sesame oil and however much salt is desired to the greens. Using your hands, massage the amaranth and kale leaves with the oil and salt for a couple of minutes. Cut the cucumber(s) into disks and put them on top of the greens. Add however many sesame seeds and a handful or so of the salted cashews and/or walnuts to the top of the salad. Enjoy!
-- Recipe by Grace Pernecky