Summer Salads

In the summer, I'm all about fresh fruits and vegetables. More than usual. This summer I've been into cucumbers. A lot. And this is a first for me. If I had to pick my least favorite vegetables, I'd say radish, followed by celery and cucumber. I like all veggies, those are just my least favorite.

One salad that I've enjoyed a lot is just a simple tomato-cucumber salad. It just has tomatoes cut into chunks, chunks of cucumber (seedless in this photo, so you can keep the peel on), onion (I used vidalia, but red would be good, too) and some of my latest, favorite salad dressing: Maple Grove Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette. Can you say yum? If you have some day-old bread hanging around, cut it into chunks and add that, too. Ooh, and maybe diced avocado. Mmm.

Another favorite is cucumber salad. I like the vinegary kind and the creamy kind. It looks a little boring, but with salt and pepper, it is a masterpiece.

Creamy Cucumber Salad:

1 pint sour cream (or maybe a teensy bit less, start with 3/4 of a pint)
1/3 mayonnaise
3 T. sugar
2 T. cider vinegar
3 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced (or 2 seedless, sliced)
2 T. chopped onion
salt & pepper to taste

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar until well blended. Add cucumbers and onion and thoroughly coat. (You may need to add more sugar or vinegar to suit your taste, but test it before you add the cukes and onions.)

I usually don't measure when I make this, so it's really a trial and error. All the flavors should blend together and it shouldn't be too vinegary or sugary.

Happy 4th of July to you and your family! Catch up with ya next week!