Cucumber Salad

When I first saw this recipe, it reminded me of three people.  Shelley for her love of vinegar and rekindling my love of it too, our grandmother who often served cucumber slices in vinegar with dinner ,and my friend Jon who has this knack of making the most delicious dishes and dressings from the simplest ingredients.

While I was researching this dish, I came across many, many versions of it.  Some are simple, plain, and straightforward, others involve more ingredients, marinating, storage, and other complications.  My version is somewhere in the middle, taking elements from various recipes.  The measurements are approximate and should be altered to allow for personal taste.  I prefer my version to have a bit of a bite, so I was heavy handed with the vinegar, however, if I was making this for people other than my family, I think I would increase the sugar and oil a bit and maybe use less vinegar.

Czech Cucumber Salad
1 large English Cucumber
1/2 large Red Onion
1/2 cup White Vinegar
2 heaping tbsp Dijon Mustard
3 tbsp White Sugar
2 tbsp Olive Oil

• Slice the cucumber and onion thinly into a large bowl using either a mandolin or box grater.  Be very careful to not include fingertips when grating as both the tools can be very sharp.
• In a smaller bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, sugar, and olive oil.  Taste and make any needed adjustments.
• Pour the dressing over the cucumber mixture and toss to coat evenly.  Let this sit for a few minutes before serving.
• The dressing is fairly watery, so I used tongs to transfer the salad to the serving plate.

 This would also be good as a more substantial salad, adding other vegetables such as lettuce, carrot, cooked potato, etc.  There is lots of room for experimentation here.