By Peter Peterson, Greenport
Guest Contributor
Summer is a wonderful time to garden, and fresh produce from a home garden is perfect for making delicious creations that compliment many summer dishes. Our family garden is currently loaded with a selection of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and fresh herbs.
My mother has a love for cooking and the traditions and recipes of her Polish family origins have been handed down for generations. Every meal she makes has a special twist on this culture’s many delectable recipes. Cucumber salad is a wonderful dish that adds bright flavors to summer season cookouts with the family. My siblings and I love this dish, and often argue about which of us will get the last helping. It is a light dish which is perfect for those hot, humid evenings but also filling when accompanied by any grilled favorite or with a vegetarian pasta dish for Meatless Monday. I hope you will enjoy this Peterson family favorite as much as we do!
Recipe for the Cucumber Salad
2 medium cucumbers, washed and sliced into rounds
½ onion, chopped
or
2 or 3 scallions, finely chopped
1 medium tomato diced
2 yellow banana peppers, sliced
½ cup of ranch dressing (1/2 cup of sour cream, 2 tablespoons of white vinaiger, 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt, 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped parsley, mix until smooth).
After slicing cucumbers into half moons, add sliced banana pepper, onions (or Scallions) and tomato.
Add ranch dressing.
Marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Serve with a Kasha Varnishka pasta salad along with a bottle of Bedell Gewurztraminer for a perfect evening.
