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Showing posts with label cucumber. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cucumber. Show all posts

Food Nostalgia: Cucumber and Red Onion Salad with Sweet Vinegar Dressing

Posted by Unknown Thursday, August 29, 2013 0 comments

My grandma used to make this for summer dinners growing up. If you can't already tell, I am heavily influenced my both of my grandmothers' and my mother's cooking styles. Cooking is not only about nourishing your body, taking care of your loved ones, and having a creative outlet, but for me, it's also about nostalgia and recreating a moment. You know how smells trigger memories? Like every time I smell the smoke from someone's fire, I think of when my family spent Christmastime in Williamsburg when I was younger. Or how peonies take me back to summers on my great-grandparents' farm in Petersburg because my MeeMaw grew them. Well food is the same way. Every time I make this salad I'm transported back to childhood, and for a moment, I'm a kid at my grandma's table again. Too little to see over the counter tops  but old enough to feel and appreciate the palpable love around. Isn't that one of the great things about life? Being able to relish and be grateful for times spent with the people who matter most? Just a little food philosophy for your Thursday. Here's how I learned it.

Start by slicing 3 large cucumbers as thin as you can get them. Use a mandolin or cheese slicer if you have them. If not, take your time with your knife. These came from my grandma's garden, which obviously makes them even better for many reasons. My mom would tell you to peel them first, (which you can do if you're picky about the skins) but I like the taste the skins add and that's where the majority of vitamins are. Immediately shower them with 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar, 2tsp of salt, 2tsp of pepper, and 1.5T of sugar. Mix them around so that they are coated with the dressing. 


Then add 1/2 of a red onion, sliced into 1.5 inch pieces. This is my own twist; grandma didn't put onion in hers, but I like the potency of red onion with the sweet cucumbers. Also add 2T of mayonnaise and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. The dressing will be very runny. 


Let it sit for a minimum of 20 minutes so the flavors can meld (as with most marinated salads/meats/fish, a few hours is best), but if you need to serve immediately, make sure you get a good amount of dressing on everyone's plate. 


Crisp, crunchy, tangy, sweet, and childhood. All in one salad. Do you have any recipes that instantly transport you back to being a kid? What memories do you recreate in the kitchen? Comments, questions, and recipe requests below! Buon appetito!

Broiled Cod with Sweet Onions, Cherry Tomatoes, and Tzatziki Sauce

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, August 7, 2013 0 comments

With summer winding down, I realized that other than a salmon cake fiasco a couple months ago, I hadn't made a really good fish yet. I wanted to broil something with the gorgeous cherry tomatoes my aunt grew in her garden. Side note: I have to give a shout out and thank you to my Aunt Happel for bringing me a great assortment of some magnificently verdant fresh herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary, and a big bunch of basil--I'm feeling some short ribs with a pesto rub coming to a blog near you very soon) and some glowing, crimson tomatoes. You can't beat home grown! So back to the fish:  when it comes to fish and broiling, you really need something like cod or catfish that will hold up to the high temperature and won't turn into mush like flounder or tilapia would. I also recently saw some very enticing dill fronds at the store, and bought them in bulk, so I needed a dish to utilize them before they weren't fresh anymore. That's where the tzatziki sauce comes in (explanation below). So with the stars aligned, I set out to avail myself of all these fresh ingredients whose powerful flavors go a long way!

The first step is to crank the heat on your oven to broil (or 500 degrees F); you want it very hot when the fish goes in. Then take one large sweet onion, and cut it into about 1/3 inch slices. You want about 9 or 10 altogether. Then line the discs in rows of 3 on a baking sheet drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Lay your cod fillets on top and toss some cherry tomatoes around the sheet. Drizzle with a little more oil, pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Squeeze half a lemon all over and toss the half onto the sheet. It will perfume the oven and help the lemon flavor to permeate more. Then take some fresh thyme sprigs, remove the leaves (TayTip: you can easily remove the leaves by pinching one end of the sprig and stripping them off with the index finger and thumb of your other hand. Make sure to go "against the grain." You'll be able to tell if you need to run your fingers the other way.) and sprinkle freely on top of the fish. Thyme has a subtle lemony taste to it, so it compliments the lemon juice very well.  Take some aluminum foil and tent it over the top of your baking sheet. This keeps some of the steam in to keep the fish from drying out and helps the thyme from burning too quickly. Broil for about 10-15 minutes, but keep an eye on it because it goes fast. Your fish should be white and flakey when done.


Now for your tzatziki (pronounced zad-ZEE-kee) sauce.This is a classic Greek dish and is traditionally served with kebobs, inside gyros, or merely as a first course with pita bread. This is literally one of the easiest sauces you will ever make. It only has five ingredients! Let me say that again, FIVE! Excluding salt and pepper, which don't really count because they're in everything. You will be able to make this sauce with time to spare in the time it takes the cod to cook. Tzatziki is traditionally made with fresh mint and parsley along with the dill, but I don't like too many conflicting herbs in mine (because when they're fresh, they have a much stronger flavor as opposed to dried), so I went a little off the beaten path. It also customarily calls for olive oil swirled in (not fully incorporated), but I find that's only really necessary when serving it as a dip with pita bread. 

First start by taking two big handfuls of dill--about 1 cup--and remove the larger stalks at the bottom. Run your knife through the bundle a few times, enough to break it up. Next take one large cucumber and dice it small. Then zest one lemon. In a large mixing bowl add 3 cups of greek yogurt and incorporate your three previous ingredients. Then finely mince 7-8 small or 3 large garlic cloves and mix well. If you like more or less of any ingredient, add or subtract to your desire. You're the one eating it! Salt and pepper to taste and you're done. 


This is probably one of the easiest, yet most flavorful dishes you can make. And let's face it, when it's the middle of the week, you want something filling and scrumptious that you can prepare quickly.


The first thing I noticed about the flavor of the fish was that the sweetness of the onions and tomatoes really pops in the forefront, which is surprising since this is a savory dish. Top it with the tzatziki and it's exceptional. Cod really has the springy texture of lobster or crab claw meat when cooked. It gives a tiny bit of resistance when you bite down, which is what I meant when I said it doesn't turn to mush. The thyme is just subtle enough to boost the lemon flavor that is prevalent throughout. The tzatziki has a little zing from the fresh garlic, and isn't heavy at all because of the brightness that the lemon zest and juice bring. The slightly sour dill tastes like a mix of parsley and fennel, and adds a great depth of flavor. Plus, you can't beat the crunch of a fresh cucumber! I'm not kidding when I say this is a very easy and fast dish to make. If you want a perfect summer fish dinner, this is the way to go. Fresh, light, and satisfying. Buon appetito!


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