It's hard to believe that in less than a week I leave for Alaska. A few months ago, I was approached by the Copper River salmon fishery to join them on a trip to Cordova, Alaska. The idea of being on a boat with fishermen, to watch them catch salmon and then eat it fresh... well, there's nothing that could bring me more joy. I envision myself on the deck of this vessel, hands open, awaiting a slice of sashimi. Ok, maybe I'm getting carried away. It most likely won't go exactly as I imagine (a boy can dream, though, right?), but I'm fairly certain that I'll eat the freshest fish I've ever consumed.
I'm also thrilled to be away from the 90+ degree weather we've had here. I swore I wouldn't complain about the heat, but, what can I say, this is what us Bostonians do. We can't help but talk about the temperature, except between April and May (when we whine about the rain) and September and October. Right now it looks to be in the 60s while I'm in Cordova. Which sounds perfect to me!
I refuse to turn on the oven when it's above 80 degrees and, therefore, we've been eating a lot of salads. Not lettuce-laden salads, but hearty salads loaded with grilled fish and hard-boiled eggs and cheese. This pickled cucumber salad often makes its way onto the plate. It does the trick in cooling things down: the combination of thinly sliced cucumbers, fresh herbs and vinegar helps cut the heat and humidity in just a few bites.
Cucumber Salad
Servings 8-10 servings as a side
Ingredients
4 cucumbers, slightly peeled, leaving a little green for color 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped 1 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1 tbsp salt Black pepper 1 tbsp fresh or dried dill
Directions
1. Thinly slice the cucumbers using a mandolin, grater or with a food processor. Put the sliced cucumber in a bowl and pour white vinegar over them. Sprinkle in the sugar, salt, some black pepper, dill, and mint.
2. Stir together and let sit for about 2 hours before using. Great alone, or can be served on top of a green salad.
