I know, I know I’m a week early BUT I’m so excited for it to be summer and soooo sick of rain and crappy cold weather that I will take the tiny bit of sunshine we had on Saturday and Sunday and proclaim it ‘Summer’. During the Fall/Winter months I tried to do a Sunday feature based on the Sunday Roast. I didn’t do too well but here is my attempt on a summer variation of that theme. Sorry friends Down Under, I know it’s winter there but perhaps a glimpse of sun from Canada will help you through your (short) dreary winter days.
I went to the Farmer’s Market as per usual on Friday and found some really great fresh produce. I tried to use as much of it up this weekend as I could, trying to focus on keeping it fresh and tasty. I found these gorgeous, ripe tomatoes that smelled so fresh that I simply sliced them, seasoned them, drizzled them with olive oil and balsamic glaze, then added some purple basil from my garden. I couldn’t resist adding some goat feta later on as well.
Then I made a cucumber salad with a cream dressing..
I don’t make the cucumber salad as often as I should. This is a dish that was taught to me by my Grandma, that same one who had me making gingersnaps oh so many years ago. When I look back on those days I realize that either she 1) trusted my palate or 2) just really needed help to feed a lot of people. Obviously she was a very busy woman in the kitchen but when she gave me free rein in the kitchen and trusted that I would deliver, it made me feel special and needed. The bowl of ‘cukes’ was always ready for me and all I had to do was create the dressing out of milk/cream, mayo, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. It had to have that perfect balance so that when you tasted it, it grabbed you just so slightly at the back and sides of your tongue. That’s when I knew it was ready.
I can’t give you the ratios of the ingredients because it’s all about the balance. The dressing I made above only used cream, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar and fresh dill. Give it a try and play around a bit until you get that proper ‘mouthfeel’. Dress the cucumbers just before you eat or they will get watery.
