Saturday, May 29, 2010

Sweet-Spicy Cucumbers overTomatoes

This salad tastes like summer a plate! You need to marinate the cucumbers ahead of time, so start it now for your Memorial Day weekend.

Thinly slice 2 cups of pickling cucumber and 1 cup Vidalia onion. Pickling cucumbers are shorter and fatter than regular cukes, and thinner skinned as well, which makes them better for, well, pickling, so definitely use them if you can!

Arrange half the cucumber slices in a 9-inch pie plate. Top with half the onion slices, then repeat the layers.

In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 cup raw sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds, 4 minced garlic cloves, and 2 whole dried red chiles (the long thin variety). Bring to a boil, then continue to cook for about 1 minute, until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.

Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cucumber mixture. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least a full 24 hours, and up to 4 days. I only let mine marinate for 1 day.

When ready to serve, arrange 16 (1/4-inch thick) tomato slices on a serving platter. Sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Remove the cucumber mixture from the marinade with a slotted spoon, and arrange over the tomato slices.

You'll have 8 servings, which is about 2 tomato slices and 1/3 cup cucumber mixture per person. Each serving is 40 calories.

Cost:
pickling cucumber $1.80
mustard seeds $2.45
tomato $5.06

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