MA's Cucumber Salad

Courtesy of Group-Ethnographies

I'm not much of a pickle eater, (except sweet gherkins), but I love cucumbers, especially when made into a cucumber salad.  I fell in love with this concoction a number of years ago when my former mother-in-law made it, and it quickly became a staple in my own home.    I probably don't make it exactly as she did, but her two sons who often ate it at my house swore that my version was better than their own mother's.  I don't know if that's true or not, but they couldn't get enough of it, often fighting over the last slices in the bowl, and I wasn't going to argue with them.

I'm no gourmet cook and don't measure things when I throw them together, so I'll give you the list of ingredients, and you can probably wing it as good as I can from there.

Sour cream
Mayonaise
Miracle Whip (generic is fine)
Cucumbers
Onion
Vinegar
Salt and pepper
Sugar

To make it, simply -

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, and Miracle Whip in a medium sized bowl in approximately equal amounts.  (Even if you hate Miracle Whip, trust me, mixed with the rest of the ingredients, it makes this dish).  I use the largest spoon in my silverware drawer and start with one heaping spoonful of each, then add more depending on how many/how large a cucumber I'll be adding.

Stir together until smooth (a wire whisk is handy at this point), then pour in just a tablespoon or two of vinegar.  Cut onion into chunks and add that to the bowl, then a pinch or two of sugar, just enough to offset the vinegar, but not make it too sweet.  Top off with salt and pepper to taste, and maybe garlic salt or whatever other seasonings you might like.

Peel a cucumber and cut in half, then into quarters, then into chunks.  (I like to cut mine into slightly thicker chunks rather than slicing thinly so that it doesn't get soggy too quickly).  Add the cucumber to the prepared dressing and toss to cover completely.  Serve immediately, or chill slightly to serve no more than an hour or two later.

If I'm making this for myself, I only use half of a large cucumber at a time, as leaving the cucumber to sit in the dressing for more than a few hours will water it down and make it soggy or appear curdled.  (Cucumbers have a very high water content which will break down the rest of the ingredients the longer it sits.  To combat that, you can drain the cucumbers first).  I'll eat half the cucumber, then cover the dressing and refrigerate to use for the other half the next day.  Leftover dressing will keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge, so I add another dab of each ingredient if necessary to give me enough to cover the second piece of cucumber.

If you want to make this salad ahead but don't want to drain the cucumbers, make the dressing first and add the cucumber shortly before serving.

This is another of those foods that I think tastes better with onions in it, but I don't actually eat the onion (I don't mind onion flavor, but can't stand biting into one ... ick).  If you don't like onions either, try it anyway; I don't think this cucumber salad is as good without it.  Also, I don't like tomatoes, but my brother-in-law loved chopped tomatoes along with the cucumber in his.  The red 'maters added a nice pop of color to the dish too.

This is a quick throw-together side dish that can round out most any meal.  If you don't mind eating the peel on a cucumber, you can save a few seconds more by not peeling it first.  Play with this and tweak the ingredients to suit your own taste.  I'm sure it'll be a hit at your house too.

~ Marie Anne