Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Take Me Back Tuesday: Memaw's Summer Cucumber Salad Recipe

Our little garden is yielding some great cucumbers right now, and the other evening, I wanted to make a salad with them. I decided to make a cucumber salad that I had many a Sunday afternoons growing up at my grandma's house. It is simply delicious, especially from the standpoint of taste, but also from the memories it evokes. I'd love to share this simple recipe with you. I have never come across this dish any where other than my grandma's kitchen. I hope you will try this and enjoy it as much as I do.

Peel cucumbers and using the slicer of a cheese grater, slice cucumbers in paper thin slices. (pay no attention to my vintage slightly rusted grater....I love this grater and prefer it over my shiny newer ones.) I used about three cucumbers this day.

Once you have sliced desired number of cucumbers, add about a tablespoon and a half of salt. Stir well and mix the salt well with the cucumbers.

Cover the bowl and let sit on the counter for about 30-40 minutes. The salt will draw out the excess water in the cucumber slices.

when this has set, it should look like this.....drain the excess salted water off of the cucumbers. Add enough real mayonnaise (Not the Miracle whip junk) and about a cap full of vinegar to mix well. If you are making a large batch, adjust accordingly. Salt, lightly and black pepper to taste. For this batch, I added a very large spoon full of mayonnaise and a little over a cap of vinegar. Stir well and refrigerate until very chilled.



Spoon into a bowl or plate and enjoy. This is great left over the next day too, very easy and very tasty. I remember those Sunday dinners so well at my memaw's house. Funny, how I can almost taste the fried chicken, mashed potatoes and "honky" gravy, corn and a green salad with homemade 1000 island dressing and of course this cucumber salad. Those are meals I have never forgotten....my grandma was the very best cook I have ever known.

So many wonderful memories from this very kitchen that belonged to my grandma. That is my Auntie in this photo, we took this picture after both my grandparents passed away, I wanted to remember things just the way they were. Like I could have ever forgotten. I spent so many mornings in this very kitchen as my grandma made homemade flour tortillas and hot sauce to go with fried eggs in the morning. I can remember as a little girl when we would come to visit, there would be cakes or pies cooling on that very counter.....always wonderful food came from this kitchen from a women who loved with all her heart. She always let me "watch" or help in some small way, she was ever patient with her grandchildren, her kitchen was truly the heart of her home. I love how certain foods can take you back to the best of times in your life that mean so much.

20 comments:

  1. I saw that photo and my mouth seriously started to water. Man, I forgot how goodna cucumber salad can be!

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  2. Cucumber salad was always around in the summer when I was a kid also. My Grandma (who I'm so happy is say is still with me at age 80) wasn't so much a great cook, but there were always "goodies" in the bread drawer, and every morning there was this delicious smell of perked coffee, bacon and fresh eggs. aahhh! There's nothing in the world like Grandma's house...thank you sharing.

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  3. That isn a great recipe. I make some thing like this I only use saladoil instead of mayonaise and I put a little pinch of sugar in it . Yummy

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  4. Omg, that looks just like Mizeria. Except we use thick sour cream instead of Mayo but that just might be your Grandma's local produce adaption. I've been explaining the salad on my food blog thinking the world might find it weird and here you know it!

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  5. Suzanne, so nice to meet you! My mom just made this dish last week and it is wonderful!! Such wonderful memories of your MeMaw...how beautiful! Blessings to you this day!!

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  6. Suzanne,
    An older neighbor taught me many years ago how to make cucumber salad :) I love the vintage photo of your Aunt in that great old kitchen. I love the knotty pine, wonderful!

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  7. Oh, the joys of a Grandma's kitchen with those dark cabinets, the wallpaper with the squiggly flower stripes, and a big white Frigidaire full of all sorts of wonderful things in dishes!

    And that salad is EXACTLY ours---I still make it, and with the Burpless cucumbers, I don't even peel. What a lovely memory this cloudy morning.

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  8. This looks so cool and delicious. I don't care for plain cucumbers, so maybe I can eat them this way.

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  9. Use to make one very similar to your salad. I used sour cream, salt, pepper and a little sugar. I also made a yellow summer squash salad the same way adding very thin slices of onions to the mix. Hadn't thought of them in years. Thanks! IT has brought back some very fond memories. Have a wonderful day. Today is the first time to visit your blog, I will bring my coffee and come again.

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  10. Hi Suzanne, I love your post full of memories today. I too have memories of eating rice pudding at grandma's house, among other things. I have never been able to make rice pudding like grandma's. sigh! I LOVE cucumbers and this recipe sounds awesome. Your auntie's home looks inviting and it is wonderful to have that photo where so many wonderful memories were shared.

    We are out the door to pull weeds in the lily garden. I HATE WEEDS! Yesterday we spent the whole day cleaning the garage. Thus, the late response.

    I am coming back to see you cabin kitchen but now my dh is calling me to weed. It is now or never according to him. HA! See ya,
    Hugs, Jeanne

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  11. My husband and I much prefer old, tried and true recipes like this one to all the fancy schmancy gourmet things people are eating now. Cucumber salad is one of our favorites!

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  12. I hope my grandbaby remembers me that way some day!

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  13. I've never had cucumber salad but it looks delicious! I love cucumber. We left England when I was only 8 so I don't have too many grandparents memories:( I never saw any of them again after that.

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  14. I just made this and put in the ice box. I had a little sample and it was pure heaven!!! I am a big fan of cucumbers and have never had it in a salad like this!!

    I am taking a HUGE bowl to our church social this weekend, it will be a HIT I know...don't worry, I'll tell them all about you and your memaw!!!

    Thanks for a great recipe, and the ladies at the church will thank you as well!! I so love your blog, you inspire me to get off my rump and do something besides stare at a computer screen!! Thanks!

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  15. Cucumbers do not always set well with me, but I would sure like to give it a test with this salad. Sounds great. I know now for a fact you and BlogHer have a thing going. You hardly had this posted till they had it featured. Another great sharing of memories and words.

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  16. Yummie!!! Looks delicious!

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  17. Looks delicious. Thanks for sharing your kitchen memories. I too remember by grandma's kitchen. Many happy time spent there.

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  18. We grew up with sliced cucumbers covered in water and about 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar w/ salt and black pepper, served cold. When I married my husband they do the same thing except they add sliced red onions. Gonna try your recipe sounds great!

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  19. I will try this wonderful sounding recipe. Cucumbers are among my favorite foods on the planet.. but what I really wanted to say is..thank you for sharing such a loving memory of a lovely and loving lady. You help memories come flooding back to me at times...ohhh, how I remember and treasure those very memories.
    Many hugs..CC

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  20. I always love it when you talk about your grandmother. I met my grandmothers only once or twice. How sad is that? But reading your memories somehow helps fill the gaps. Knowing you knew and loved your grandma, and continue to do so, for some reason warms me.

    p.s. I make this recipe with Greek yogurt and a smidge of garlic and vinegar. Love it. So refreshing.

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Sometimes someone says something really small, and it's like it fits into this empty space in your heart!

Thank you for stopping by and leaving your thoughts here, they really mean a lot to me!

Suzanne

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