Cool n Creamy Cucumber Salad

Its summer and now is the perfect time to try something new like this cucumber salad I am about to share with you. But first, let me carry on a bit about where this came from. Now, we know I love Germany, and I love Germans, especially Dana, the lovely lady who made this for me for the very first time a couple of years ago. Actually, when I first saw this sitting in the dish, it looked a little scary at first, but once you taste how delicious and refreshing this is, you may start bringing this salad to all of your summer BBQs. Actually, funny thing is I first tried this in the dead of winter and it was still amazing.

If you have a garden or access to a good farmer's market then this salad will be your friend. You really only need 2 ingredients from the garden or, if you are like me and sometimes just can't wait, then you can easily buy them in the grocery store. I always use one of the very long english cucumbers, the kind without the seeds. This one has a really nice, thin skin and doesn't require peeling....so don't peel it!

The next thing you will need is a bunch of fresh dill. You know, the stuff that looks like a feathery weed from heaven (hence the name dill weed har har). Anyway, you COULD use dried, but don't. Really, trust me. Here is a tip. I buy a few bunches from the farmers markets, wash them and let them dry. Then chop into a million pieces, put them in a plastic bag and throw it in the freezer. Voila, fresh dill all year round!

So here are the deets:

1 long english cucumber, sliced thin
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp sugar
1-2 tbsp fresh chopped dill

You can use a mandolin slicer for perfect cucumber rounds, otherwise just use a sharp knife and try to cut uniform shapes. Mix the sour cream, sugar and dill together in a bowl and then add the cucumber slices and gently toss. You can eat it right away, but I like to let the dill permeate throughout the dressing for an hour or so. Also, as this happens the dressing becomes very thin, and this is perfectly ok! Its just the water coming out of the cucumber, no need to drain it.

This salad goes perfectly with grilled fare or really is just a really nice, refreshing snack on a hot day! Try it, trust me.

Oh and one last tip, leave out the sugar and add a 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and you have yourself a lovely savory dill dip!

Dressing first and THEN cucumbers