My mom used to call them summer pickles. Summer pickles are a great way to get some cool crunch and a bit of spice into a meal during the dog days of summer. And they are an excellent excuse for adding a mandolin to your kitchen tools. Cucumbers, onions, and a bit of hot pepper (I like banana peppers or jalapenos) are sliced razor thin, then soaked in a cup or so of vinegar. I like simple white vinegar for its lack of color and clean taste, a bit of sugar, like about a teaspoon to offset the heat and the vinegar tang, salt, pepper, and enough water to cover. My mom even added a few ice cubes to the bowl, back in the days when we were without air conditioning.
These little morsels will stay crisp and fresh in the fridge for several days. They add a tang and a delightful crunch to any meal off the grill, take minutes to prepare, and are about as low calorie as they can get. Sometimes a childhood summer memory has a taste all its own. A great memory from the lake this summer, Char!
I've made them several times and they always get eaten right up! And I don'tknow how I survived all of these years without a mandolin!
ReplyDeleteum, how am I supposed to slice cucumbers with a miniature guitar? This makes no sense.
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Oh Ratty, you must just try it. You simply run the veggies over the guitar strings, which makes dinner and background music at the same time...
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