I was dining at the Woodford the other day and my sandwich had these charming gently tangy cucumber slices. Not quite pickled (like these), more like a salad or salsa. It was delightful. So, of course, I decided I had to figure out how to make something like it at home. I considered my quick pickles a bit too tangy for what I had in mind and thought maybe omitting the boiling and certain spices might make for a milder flavor. This is so well suited for picnic food and sandwiches, in general.
The beauty of summer cucumber salad is that it can be prepared ahead of time. I have quite a few variations of these quick-preserved recipes in a specific category for my pantry recipes and a special post about proper canning and preserving techniques.
I have several posts focused on specific sandwich recipes, including tuna salad and chicken salad. Take a peek in my ‘sandwiches’ tag.
Here’s what I came up with…
Summer Cucumber Salad
2 1/4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Dash of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bunch of fresh dill, coarsely chopped
2 whole cucumbers, peeled and cut lengthwise with the seeds spooned out
1. In a medium bowl or container, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh dill. Set aside for a moment.
2. Slice the cucumbers using a mandoline, using the safety holder since cucumbers are slippery when peeled and fingers are hard to replace. Add them to the lemon juice blend, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Serve chilled with a tiny fork for serving. Great accompaniment for sandwiches, smoked salmon, or roast chicken.
Note: If you are short on time, skip the peeling, lengthwise cutting and seed removable of the cucumbers and just slice them thinly. That brings the prep time down to 10 minutes!
P.S. You may remember this photo from this post about it being featured on FoodBuzz.