And for the cucumbers and sweet peppers and tomatoes and radishes, I’m going to make them into a big salad and dress them with this Apple Cider Vinaigrette recipe from Emily Nunn and the Department of Salad. I’ll make a bigger batch and keep it in a jar in the refrigerator to anoint salads for the next week or two. AND I’m going to slice an apple or two into the salad. Love adding fruit to salads. That little bit of sweet crunch is always a welcome surprise.
Cucumbers
(2023) Sichuan Cucumbers
If you’d prefer to go savory, here’s a Sichuan Cucumber recipe from a restaurant in Charleston. I have black vinegar in my pantry from recipe testing for the AJC. If you don’t, and don’t want to buy a bottle, you could skip it and up the rice vinegar. Definitely not balsamic (which some people think they can substitute just because it’s black)!
(2023) Sweet Cucumber Relish
It’s been a bountiful year for cucumbers, that’s for sure. When I looked in the refrigerator last weekend and saw a half dozen cucumbers and a few peppers, I realized I needed to do something with them to make way for what would undoubtedly be more this week. So I made the Sweet Cucumber Relish you see below. It’s hugely adaptable so if you want to make some, consider this just a general notion of what you could do. Great way to use up any quantity of cucumbers, any quantity of peppers, etc.
(2023) Victory Sandwich Bar’s Watermelon Salad
So, so happy to see more melons this week. Cantaloupe and watermelon for us, alongside a spaghetti squash, red potatoes, slicer tomatoes and Kirby cucumbers.
I’ve got the perfect salad for two of those items. A watermelon and cucumber salad. Salads combining those two are not new, but I’ve never seen a recipe with a dressing like the one at Victory Sandwich Bar. AJC will be publishing this recipe Sunday and it will be online August 16, but down below is a sneak preview. So delicious! Substitute, or add, cantaloupe to the salad.
(2023) Sabich Bowls
The Sabich Bowl makes great use of that eggplant in today’s box as well as a tomato and a little sliced cabbage for garnish.
(2023) Cucumber and Mint Salad
One more idea for those cucumbers, this Cucumber and Mint Salad adapted from Joshua McFadden’s “Six Seasons.” I’m skipping the green onions and just using a bit more red onion.
(2023) Cucumber Salad, Sichuan-Style
If you’re ready for another idea of cucumbers (since we got so many both slicers and Kirby variety today), I have a Mark Bittman recipe for a spicy cucumber salad.
(2023) Pickled Cucumber Salad
I’ll probably substitute finely sliced basil for the dill called for in the recipe since I’ve got a pot of basil growing on my back deck, and dill, although my absolute favorite herb, is not something that has ever grown well for me.
(2022) Cold Peanut Noodle Salad with Cucumbers
And because we have a bounty of cucumbers, I’ll make the Cold Peanuts Noodle Salad with Cucumbers from Alexander Stafford, down below. We like the dressing a little sweeter, so we add some honey.
(2022) Real Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salata)
from Cooks Illustrated. Their onion treatment kills any bitter onion vapors, and is especially tasty if you start with sweet onions.