Creamy Cucumber Salad with Pickled Onions.

Our first crop to harvest from the garden was cucumbers. And while I have never been one to eat lots and lots of cucumbers, this Creamy Cucumber Salad with Pickled Onions is a new favorite! So much so, I recently replanted the cucumber bed...

In about 10 days we will have been Texas residents for one year! 

This journey to Texas has been nothing short of firsts. When we moved last year, it was the hottest summer in years and years according to the locals, who have not become friends and neighbors. Then right after that, we had the wettest spring, yep, in years and years. And then when storm season hit (yes we have a storm season here, and it is more than just rain...) we got to experience Tropical Storm Beryl with five days of no electricity due to grid damage throughout the state. 

In this year, we have made homes for ourselves, and planted a garden. 

Our first crop that we began eating, preserving and coming up with new recipes for, is cucumbers. Now don't be too impressed our garden consists of a few raised beds and some seeds from the dollar store, But I have to tell you, this cucumber plant was and is still a winner! Still? Yep, it took a bit of a beating from Beryl! 

But as you can see, even without the trellis and all bound up in the remaining twine, this jewel of a plant is still blooming and giving us food. So there was only one thing to do, make a salad for our dinner! Because we have already made Grandma's Two Day Sweet Pickle Slices and a couple of jars of Naturally Fermented Pickles.   My next goal for preserving from this blessed plant is a batch of sweet pickle relish... 

Grab two cucumbers, and let's make a salad! 

When you have a garden the produce grows according to it's own schedule. You may not be able to find two cucumbers of the exact size, but no worries, I have a couple of tips to share with you. Peel or not peel the choice is yours. 

Peel the cucumbers if desired. I usually decide on peeling or not peeling by how tough the skin may be. But even when I peel, I like to leave a little streak of peel for a bit of color and texture. Some folks (myself included) don't like the bitterness that may be present in cucumbers. But I have found that if I trim the ends back to the start of the seeds, no bitterness seems to remain. And lastly if I have one cucumber that is quite a bit larger than the other, I will often cut the large cuke in half and remove the seeds from the center. Especially for a dressed salad, those seeds can dilute the dressing. 

Bucking tradition, this cucumber salad does not call for raw onions. 

I know that raw onions are traditional, but for many, raw onions also offer heartburn. Even for folks that love raw onions! To solve that I have used some of our Quick Pickled Onions, because you guessed it, they are easy to digest...and they offer delicious flavor, a bit of tang and quite a lovely contrast in color. And don't we eat with our eyes first? From there we taste, and enjoy the experience. And for those who have folks around the table who must have raw onion with their cucumber salad, I suggest offering a dish of fresh diced raw onions to top dress individual salads as desired!

And if you are fortunate to have some Creamy Cucumber Salad with Pickled Onions leftover, it makes a fitting addition served over the top of standard tossed salad ingredients, do add a few more of the onions and some black olives!

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

• cucumbers
• salt
• Quick Pickled Onions, recipe found here. 
• Sour Cream 
• fresh ground pepper

You will also need the following:

• vegetable peeler
• cutting board
• kitchen knife
• kitchen spoon
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• medium mixing bowl
• cotton or paper toweling
• serving bowl

Now we are ready to begin!

Creamy Cucumber Salad with Pickled Onions 

by the seat of my pants

2 medium cucumbers

1/4 Quick Pickled Onions, our recipe found here. 

1 T Quick Pickled Onions, brine

1/3 c sour cream

fresh ground black pepper

salt

Wash and peel the cucumbers if desired. Using a Chef's knife and cutting board, cut large cucumbers in half and remove the water-y seeds. Slice into thin slices and place in a medium sized mixing bowl. Simply slice any cucumbers that are on the small to medium size. Add 1 t salt and mix well (you may use your hands) making sure the salt is covering all the cucumber slices. Let rest about 20 minutes. 

Add about 1/2 c cold water to the salt and sliced cucumber mixture. Stir well to wash away some of the salt, drain the mixture well, then turn out onto cotton toweling or paper towels. Let rest while the excess water is absorbed. Rinse the the mixing bowl and wipe dry. 

Using the knife, mince the Quick Pickled Onions, and place in the mixing bowl. Add the drained sliced cucumbers, sour cream and freshly ground pepper. 

Gently mix well. Taste and adjust for salt, if needed. Place the mixture into a serving dish, garnish the top with additional pieces of pickled onion and refrigerate until serving time. 

Storage options for Creamy Cucumber Salad with Pickled Onions. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Do expect some minor changes in texture (additional moisture from the cucumbers). I do not recommend freezing this dish. 

UPDATE:  For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of Creamy Cucumber Salad with Pickled Onions has been included below. 

You may also enjoy: 

Apple Beet and Carrot Salad. 

#eatmorevegetables!

#wholefoodingredients

#scratchmadefoodforyourfamily

This recipe featured at: 

Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household featured at Homestead Blog Hop and Link-up.

Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household featured at Inspire Me Monday Link-up and Blog Hop. 

Thanks for stopping by!

We offer new and delicious recipes as well as DIY ideas for your home, regularly. Feel free to drop us an email request for any question or recipe you may be looking for. In addition, like all our guests, we invite you to come for a visit again and again for new recipes, and my down-home take on frugal ways to keep your home in tip top shape.

Hey you, don’t miss a post! Please consider following Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household. To follow by email, and/or by RSS feed, complete the application located on the right-hand side of the blog. Please Note, some posts may contain affiliate links, thank you for supporting Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household. 

PS, friends, and family who love good food and household ideas might love us too! Tell them about us, and thanks for the referral! 

You may also enjoy, Creative writing from the heart... stories of life, living, and family.

Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household proudly shares with these generous link parties featured here. 

 

Printable "copy and paste" version:

Creamy Cucumber Salad with Pickled Onions 

by the seat of my pants

2 medium cucumbers

1/4 Quick Pickled Onions, recipe found here. 

1 T Quick Pickled Onions brine

1/3 c sour cream

fresh ground black pepper

salt

Wash and peel the cucumbers if desired. Using a Chef's knife and cutting board, cut large cucumbers in half and remove the water-y seeds. Slice into thin slices and place in a medium sized mixing bowl. Simply slice any cucumbers that are on the small to medium size. Add 1 t salt and mix well (you may use your hands) making sure the salt is covering all the cucumber slices. Let rest about 20 minutes. 

Add about 1/2 c cold water to the salt and sliced cucumbers. Stir well to wash away some of the salt, drain the mixture well, then turn out onto cotton toweling or paper towels. Let rest while the excess water is absorbed. Rinse the the mixing bowl and wipe dry. 

Using the knife, mince the Quick Pickled Onions, and place in the mixing bowl. Add the drained sliced cucumbers, sour cream and freshly ground pepper. Gently mix well. Taste and adjust for salt, if needed. Place the mixture into a serving dish, garnish the top with additional pieces of pickled onion and refrigerate until serving time. 

Storage options for Creamy Cucumber Salad with Pickled Onions. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Do expect some minor changes in texture (additional moisture from the cucumbers). I do not recommend freezing this dish.