Refreshing Cucumber Salad with Honey

I bought some pickling cucumbers at a farm stand, thinking that I might get ambitious and make some pickles.  The cukes were too bitter for that, though (and truth be told, they were hanging out in the fridge a bit longer than they should have--not a good venue for pickle potential!).  Mollie Katzen's classic Moosewood Cookbook came to my rescue with this recipe, which she calls "Balkan Cucumber Salad."  It's like a deconstructed cold cucumber soup (click here for last year's post that includes Katzen's Chilled Cucumber Soup recipe).

This salad is best very cold, though refrigerating the salad for a few hours also makes it weep a bit.  Stir it well before sprinkling on the walnuts and serving.



Refreshing Cucumber Salad with Honey
1/2 cup thinly sliced (or minced) red onion
5-6 small cucumbers, peeled if bitter or not homegrown
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup yogurt
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, minced
1/2 cup (packed) fresh parsley, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
1/2 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

Soak the onion in cold water for about 30 minutes.  Drain thoroughly and pat dry.  Cut cucumbers in half and seed them and then slice into 1/4 inch half rounds.  Add everything else EXCEPT the walnuts. Cover and chill for at least an hour.  Just before serving, give the salad a good stir and sprinkle the walnuts on top.  Makes about 4 generous servings.