Cucumber Salad & Cornbread
A Match Made in Summer Heaven
The garden's been waterlogged all week. Instead of hands in the soil, tending those first tender shoots, I find myself stuck indoors. The rain drums a steady rhythm against the windowpane, and my daydreams drift away from seedlings and sun-warmed dirt to the sweet, crisp flavors of summer. First on my mental menu? A fresh, chilled cucumber salad.
Marinated Cucumber Salad
One of my favorite summer meals, fresh from the garden, is Cucumber Salad. The recipe is pretty basic.
INGREDIENTS
1 Large wide-mouth mason jar
1 C apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
½ C sugar
½ C cool water
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp celery seed
2 cucumbers thinly sliced
½ red onion thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
Add the cider vinegar, olive oil, sugar, water, salt, black pepper, and celery seed in a large, wide-mouthed mason jar, and shake to combine.
Add the cucumbers and red onions to the jar. Refrigerate for one hour up to overnight.
I really prefer this one with tomatoes, though. So, I often double the “dressing” (vinegar, olive oil, sugar, water, seasonings) and cut up chunks of tomatoes to add to it. And if I have it, I throw in some fresh dill. I mix that up in a glass bowl and refrigerate until cold.
Honey Corn Bread
One of my husband’s favorite breads is corn bread, and this recipe is perfect as a side for the salad above.
INGREDIENTS
1 C yellow cornmeal
1 C All Purpose Flour
¼ C Sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/3 C of olive oil
½ C honey
1 C milk
1tbsp butter
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 F.
In an oversized bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a different bowl, combine egg, oil, honey, and milk. Mix well.
Add wet ingredients to dry, mixing just until combined.
Heat pan (10-inch cast iron or 9 inch baking dish) for 2-3 minutes, and then add butter. Coat the pan with melted butter, and then pour in batter.
Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
NOTE
Once baked, you might brush melted butter across top for additional flavor.
These simple recipes are the essence of summer for me – a celebration of fresh, seasonal ingredients. They speak of warm evenings on the deck, the gentle hum of insects in the twilight, and the satisfaction of a meal born of the earth. While I yearn for sunshine and long afternoons tending my plot, this week’s rain gives me a chance to savor a piece of the summer to come.