Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad

Yes, sweet and sour has been a theme lately. Can you blame me? Cucumbers are starting to pop up in gardens and farmer’s markets around town and this twist on my Grandma’s classic is the perfect refreshing side dish to a burger, brat or last week’s Sweet and Sour Pulled Pork.

Cutting the cucumbers as thinly as possible is the trick to making the texture of this salad work. If you’ve got fresh dill from the garden, it will kick these cucumbers up an extra notch.

Sweet and Sour Cucumbers
2 large cucumbers, very thinly sliced
2 tsp salt
1/4 C white vinegar
2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp chopped dill
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

After thinly slicing cucumbers, place in bowl and sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Squeeze and drain excess water from cucumbers. In a separate small bowl, mix vinegar and sugar. Pour over cucumbers. Stir to coat. Add dill and pepper, toss to coat.

Chill or serve immediately. Drain most of the excess liquid before serving.

Our foodie friends over at the Food Network are also celebrating cucumbers this week! Check out some of these mouth-watering Summer Fest recipes.

Feed Me Phoebe: Fennel Tzatziki with Mint
The Lemon Bowl: Japanese Quick Pickled Cucumbers
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Burmese Cucumber Watermelon Composed Salad
Domesticate Me: California Salad with Roasted Chicken and Avocado Dressing
Taste With The Eyes: Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi with Shrimp and Minari
Devour: Cucumber and Mint Lemonade 
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Spicy Cucumber, Carrot and Onion Refrigerator Pickles
Red or Green: Spicy Cucumber Gazpacho
Virtually Homemade: Cucumber Tomato Bruschetta
Food for 7 Stages of Life: Neer Mor — Zested South Indian Buttermilk with Cucumber
Weelicious: Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwiches
Blue Apron Blog: Barley Salad with Heirloom Cucumbers & Golden Beets
The Sensitive Epicure: Pimm’s Cups and Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
FN Dish: Pickles Past the Jar

Happy Summer Eating!