Cucumber Salad

"Be fearless. Have the courage to take risks. Go where there
are no guarantees. Get out of your comfort zone even if it
means being uncomfortable. The road less traveled is sometimes
fraught with barricades bumps and uncharted terrain. But it is
on that road where your character is truly tested. And have the
courage to accept that you're not perfect, nothing is and no
one is -- and that's OK."
 Katie Couric 

Cucumber Salad

Cook's notes: After reading the above quote I decided to take a risk with a tried and true recipe. I had previously made a similar cucumber salad recipe but wanted to change some steps and amounts. After splurging on a gourmet burger recently thought it best to get back to a more healthier food item :) The original recipe I started with came from a friend and that recipe was credited to Louise Fox. Reading reviews on line of several similar cucumber recipes helped in my decision making. 

I really liked the end result with the sweet/sour taste. My only regret was not serving it with the gourmet burger. It would have been a match "made in heaven."  

Many recipes I looked at called for cucumbers to be unpeeled and scored before slicing. I thought I would try a different approach for this recipe. . 

Be sure to let these cukes marinate in sauce for 24 hours before serving.

Serves 6 and used a 13 x 9 pan 

Ingredients:

• 5 cups peeled and thinly sliced cucumbers
• 1/2 red onion cut into rings
• optional sliced green peppers
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1-1/4 cups of sugar
• 1/2 tsp. celery seeds
• 1/2 tsp. dill weed
• sea salt

Directions:

• Slice cucumber-lay flat in a 13 x 9 pan
• Sprinkle with sea salt  
• Add onion rings and let sit for one hour
• In a saucepan medium heat bring to a boil vinegar, sugar, celery seeds and dill weed-stir to help sugar dissolve
• Pour this vinegar/sugar mixture over the cucumbers and onion-cover with plastic wrap-refrigerate
• After 24 hours drain liquid 

Serving suggestions: serve over torn spinach leaves
Some recipes suggested adding ice cubes toward the end of marinating to keep cucumbers crisp