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