Jicama, radish, cucumber, carrot summer salad

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

This is super simple, fresh, and tasty.
Mix together:

1 medium jicama, peeled, cut sliced into strips
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium cucumber, chopped
15-20 radishes, chopped

In a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, stirring, 1/2 c rice wine vinegar, 1 t sugar, and 1/2 t pepper flakes. Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste and blend. Chill at least 2 hours before serving, stirring often to blend the flavors.

Tomato, Cucumber, Onion & Basil Salad

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

Lunch. This is what I made for lunch today. Since I know I can't do this 2 months from now, I come home daily and make something from the garden. Today, I harvested 2 gorgeous tomatoes, a Japanese Black Trifle and Italian Rainbow, a cucumber, a red onion, and a handful of basil.

My salad was simple: the tomatoes still warm from the sun, with the other garden treasures, all cut into small bites and dressed simply with 1 1/2 T olive oil and 1 t balsamic vinegar.

We once had a similar salad in Ontario called Canadian slaw. I don't know why it was called a slaw. But it was also in the late summer and wonderful even if it surprised us when it arrived at the table.

The juice of the tomatoes blends with the oil and vinegar to make a superb dressing. I filled a large bowl with this salad and took it back to the office where each bite was like a bite of summer. Amazing. And none of it more than just a few minutes from the garden.

Tzatziki--Cucumber Salad with Homemade Greek Yogurt

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

I picked the first Armenian cucumber today from the garden (the cold and the deer slowed their arrival) so I had to use one in one of my favorite salads: a simple Tzatziki, or Greek yogurt and cucumber salad.

Because I make my own yogurt at least once a week, I also make my own Greek yogurt. Even if you don't make your own yogurt, you can easily create a Greek style yogurt at home minus the hefty price tag. Greek yogurt is sometimes called strained yogurt because the whey is strained from regular yogurt. It is thick, tangy and so popular these days that Greek yogurt sales have grown nearly tenfold in the past few years.

To make Greek yogurt, pour plain yogurt into a strainer lined with cheesecloth, place the strainer over a bowl, and put in the refrigerator over night. That's it. In the morning, the bowl will be filled with whey (which my puppy loves!). Squeeze the remaining whey out of the cheesecloth and then scrape from the cheesecloth the thick Greek yogurt.

In a bowl, whisk together:
1 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
2 finely minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 c Greek yogurt

To this add finely chopped cucumbers, salt and pepper and stir to coat the cukes. I also added fresh dill since I have it in the garden. Chill several hours.


For an early post on making yogurt, scroll down the page and in the right hand column listing the labels, click on Yogurt.

Cucumber Sandwiches

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner
Anyone who says that they don't like cucumber sandwiches, probably has never had one. Years ago, I had a cucumber sandwich in mid summer at a restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin and it was an eye opening experience: cucumbers indeed are great in sandwiches. Up until that point, I had only read about them. This was not something we grew up on in Indiana but we probably should have! Easy and delicious.
This time of year with the garden in full swing, I come home for lunch, pick a cuke and cut some fresh dill and bring them inside for this sandwich.
Slice a cucumber into very thin slices. Mix 1/2 c cream cheese with salt, pepper, garlic powder and fresh snipped dill.
I like to use a very thick, hearty bread. Spread the cream cheese mix on the bread so that the layer is at least 1/4" thick (or more!), top with a stack of fresh cukes.
I have occasionally made an appetizer using slices of a baguette topped with the cheese, a single cuke slice and garnished with fresh dill. The sandwich I had in Wisconsin included a thick layer of bean sprouts. Sometimes I use the sprouts and either way is great.
Cucumbers aren't just for salads anymore!

Cucumbers and Onions in Rice Vinegar

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

So we're into cucumbers right now since the garden in filled with them. We alternate every few days between this salad and the version with sour cream posted below.

This one is a bit of a twist on the cukes and onions Grandma Washburn served. She blended cider vinegar with an equal amount of water (along with a handful of ice cubes) and a bit of sugar. I do love her recipe but also like this kicked up one.

Sliced cukes, usually 2 medium sized
Sliced onions divided into onion rings, about 3/4 c
1 c seasoned rice vinegar (or whatever rice vinegar you have)

1 t fresh dill
and occasionally for a another twist on this version, I'll add 1 t of minced ginger

Place the veggies in a bowl and add seasonings and vinegar. Stir to coat. The liquid will only cover about 1/2 of the veggies. Refrigerate stirring every 15 minutes, for one hour.

Enjoy!

Cucumbers and Onions in Sour Cream Dressing

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

We grew up on cucumbers and onions in two versions--in vinegar and water or in sour cream. We love both especially this time of year when I can walk outside and harvest cucumbers and onions from the garden. The sour cream version that I make will be your new favorite for a potluck dinner. This dish is always devoured.

3/4 c sour cream
1 1/2 T lemon juice
2 med cucumbers sliced thin
3/4 c sliced onions
salt, pepper and minced fresh dill to taste

In the bottom of a serving bowl, sprinkle salt, pepper, and dill. Top with a layer of cucumbers and onions. Layer again with salt, pepper and dill and cukes and onions until you have 3 layers of veggies and seasonings ending with a layer of onions.

Evenly spread the sour cream on top of the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap placing the plastic wrap directly on the sour cream. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Before serving, stir in lemon juice. This salad will last several days--if there is any left to save!