Pickled Cucumber Salad (smack dab in the middle of winter)

People, SoupAddict has issues. She is so sweeted-out, she cannot even look at chocolate right now. The vegetable cravings started Dec. 26th and have been pretty much non-stop. This is occurring, conveniently, in conjunction with SoupAddict’s New Year’s Resolution to eat healthier in 2010, but seriously, the thought of baking cookies just about makes SoupAddict’s tummy go flippity-flop.

So please bear with SoupAddict while she works on these issues, and meanwhile loads you down with lots of stuff with vegetables. (It won’t be all vegetables—there’s meat. And bacon. Which, yes, is meat. Only better—but definitely more than usual.)

These have nothing to do with the recipe here: SoupAddict just wanted to show you what her impulse buys at the grocery were. Snicker’s bars? Nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-no. Cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, red grapes. And, yes, SoupAddict went “mmmmmm” at each item as she picked it up. See? Issues. Who craves vegetables like that?

Cucumber salad was also a craving, although a different kind: SoupAddict is madly pining for summer. And there’s nothing more summery than a cucumber salad.

There were more of these slices, but SoupAddict was shoving them in her mouth like bonbons.

Some red onions, some sweet red pepper? Yes, please.

Oh, and the dill. SoupAddict luh-huh-huh-ves the dill. “Well, why don’t you just marry it?”   Well, maybe I would, if it were legal.

This is pretty enough to eat right now [rubs hands together diabolically]. But, SoupAddict has learned the wonders of delayed gratification, and will wait for the vinaigrette.

Swirly action photo goodness! At the very last second, SoupAddict grabbed the bag of Splenda that’s been languishing in the back of the Cabinet of Good Intentions for months on end, and used it to sweeten the vinaigrette instead of sugar. Good choice. Couldn’t tell the difference.

Score! Good intentions: 1. SoupAddict undoing her New Year’s resolution: 0.

Oh, yeah. Now we’re talkin’. This is after about an hour in the fridge. See how the red onions are starting to pink up a teensy bit (thanks to the vinegar breaking down the red color in the skin and spreading it about)? Lovely. I’ve been keeping this salad in the refrigerator to serve with meat dishes, like stroganoff, as well as to mix into green salads.

Delicious and summery. SoupAddict can close her eyes and practically feel the cool breeze … no, no, wait – that’s not a summer breeze. SoupAddict needs to finish winterizing her drafty house. [sigh]

Pickled Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, sliced (SoupAddict used 4 baby cukes)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1/2 cup white sugar (or the appropriate amount of sugar substitute (for Splenda it’s half the amount of white sugar, or, 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup white vinegar (use an equal amount of vinegar as sweetner, so, if using Splenda, use 1/4 cup).
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

Instructions:

In a large serving bowl, combine cucumbers, onions, peppers and dill. In a medium size bowl combine sweetner, vinegar, water, celery seed and salt; stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour the liquid mixture over the cucumber mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving (the longer this dish marinates the tastier it is!).