Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad

This sweet, salty, and tangy salad is a refreshing side dish for any summer barbecue or picnic. They have just the right zing to make them the perfect pickle on hamburgers, hotdogs or pulled pork. My grandmother used to make these and store them in her refrigerator in a big glass jar.

I like to use English cucumbers for this dish because of their thin skins and small seeds. Regular cucumbers will work just fine. Peel them if their skins are too thick.

• 1 large English cucumber
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or dill
• 2/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 2/3 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Thinly slice the cucumber and place in a bowl.

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt to make the dressing. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the sliced cucumber. Stir in the parsley or dill. Taste and add more sugar if it isn’t sweet enough for your taste.

Chill for at least half an hour before serving.

To serve, drain some of the pickling liquid and top with cracked pepper, basil, parsley, dill or even sliced tomatoes.

This keeps for several days in the refrigerator. For a variation, add very thinly sliced green or sweet onions to the sliced cucumber before pickling.

 

First seen on TikTok, corn ribs are this summer’s favorite food trend. Easy to make and fun to eat, corn ribs curl up when they cook to look like, well, ribs!

Not only are they cute as the dickens, they are also so much easier to eat than a full ear of corn and they are wonderful for a vegetarian or vegan barbecue.

 

Grill them or roast them in the oven or air fryer. Whichever way you make them, they are going to be a hit, I guarantee.

The hardest step is cutting the corn lengthwise into 4 strips. I’m a klutz in the kitchen, so I cut the cob in half first. A shorter ear is easier to manage.

Put a damp wash rag or paper towel under your cutting board so it doesn’t slip, use a heavy, sharp knife and please go slowly.

I like to get as much prep work done early in the day as I can to make cooking dinner easier. Once prepared, these corn ribs can wait to be cooked for a couple of hours up to 2 days in a zip top bag or other closed container in your refrigerator.

Corn Preparation

Step 1:

Cut the cob in half.

 

Step 2:

Hold the cob vertically by resting it on its freshly cut flat surface to minimize slippage. Take your time and cut all the way down the length of the cob. Rock the knife a little if needed but watch your fingers!

 

Step 3:

Repeat the process until you’ve got 8 corn ribs from each ear of corn.

Step 4:

Put the corn ribs in a big bowl, drizzle them with olive oil and give them a good rub.

Step 5:

Salt and pepper them or go with a generous sprinkling of barbecue seasoning.

Step 6:

Grill, roast, or air fry until they begin to curl up and brown, about 15 minutes.

Step 7:

Eat them just like they are, or drizzle with melted butter or barbecue mayo. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and cilantro for an out-of-this-world flavor.

Corn Ribs

• 2 ears of corn, cut into 8 ribs each
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• barbecue seasoning (optional)
• parmesan cheese (optional)
• cilantro (optional)

In a large bowl, cover the corn ribs with the olive oil, rubbing it in well. Season with salt and pepper or barbecue seasoning.

Barbecue Mayonnaise

• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise

Stir barbecue sauce and mayonnaise until blended. Set aside until needed. (Make ahead of time and store in the refrigerator in a covered container if you are like me and like to get things done ahead of time.)

To Grill

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place the corn on the grill and turn it regularly until each side starts to char, about 15 minutes grill time, total.

To Oven Bake

Preheat oven to 375. Place corn ribs on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. They are done when they start to curl, and you see a few charred kernels.

To Air Fry

Lay them in a single layer in your air fryer and cook for 15 minutes at 375. Flip them over half way.

To serve:

Serve plain, or with a little melted butter or with barbecue mayonnaise. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cilantro.

 

 

 

When the weather warms up and the flowers are blooming, my tastes turn to salads. Who doesn’t love a fresh spinach salad with strawberries, feta cheese, and toasted pecans? Or maybe goat cheese and blueberries with a lemon vinaigrette?

Spinach with berries or fruit and a tangy dressing make a beautiful salad for your backyard get together or a picnic in the park and I’ve made it easy for you with my Summer Spinach Salad Cheater’s Chart.

Start with a bowl of fresh spinach and add one or more items from each column and you’ve got yourself a crowd pleaser with minimal effort. Voila, salad success!

Add the dressing right before serving and enjoy.

 

If you don’t like or can’t get fresh spinach, substitute romaine, arugula, escarole or kale. To make it even easier, buy a pre-washed, bagged spring mix at your local market.

Peaches and nectarines go wonderfully. Slice or dice them but you don’t need to peel them.

I highly recommend that you toast the nuts. Toasting intensifies their flavors and makes them crunchier. Toast your nuts a day or two ahead if you like and store them in a sealed container.

To toast nuts add them to a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or spread them out in an even layer on a sheet pan and place in a 350 oven for 6 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them, they burn easily.

Sliced red onion is a wonderful addition to almost any spinach and fruit salad. Here’s the trick: soak the onion slices in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes to take away their bite before adding them to your salad. Your breath will thank me.

Add other ingredients as they come into season: avocados, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, green onions, seedless grapes, bell peppers, sliced apples or pears, cilantro, parsley, etc. See what’s ripe and ready at the farmers’ market or look around your pantry. Dried cranberries or mandarin oranges make a wonderful substitute for fresh fruit if you’re in a pinch.

How to Make Salad Dressing in a Jiffy

To make any of these dressings, add all ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake for 10 seconds. Could it be any easier? Add salt and pepper once you’ve given it a taste and you’re all set.

Here are the ingredient lists:

Basic Vinaigrette

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons vinegar (balsamic, white wine, red wine, etc.)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Poppy Seed Dressing

⅓ cup white sugar
½ cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1 teaspoon grated onion
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Lemon vinaigrette

½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon Juice
salt and pepper to taste

Oil and Vinegar

This is a super easy basic dressing. 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Whisk together, add salt and pepper and that’s it. Use whatever oil or vinegar you like. Here’s one of my favorite combinations.

¾ cup sunflower seed oil
¼ cup white or white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Add chopped garlic or fresh or dried chopped herbs, like cilantro, tarragon, thyme, parsley or oregano. A smidge of Dijon mustard or honey will keep this dressing emulsified.

Creamy yogurt

1 cup plain yogurt, Greek works well
1 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Honey Balsamic Dressing

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine balsamic vinegar and honey in a bowl, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until the mixture emulsifies. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing

This dressing is the same as the Honey Balsamic described above. Add 1 tablespoon poppy seeds and a ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard.

Jam Vinaigrette

3/4 cup jam, strawberry or blackberry work well
1/4 cup canola Oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste