Marinated Cucumbers

Chris Burkart, e-mail message to Michael Miller.

Summer on the hot prairies brought wonderful vegetables in a huge garden my mother grew not far from the house. The only trees around our property were the ones around the garden, so there was some shade from the hot sun. When the restfulness of Sunday came, and we wanted a snack, mom would send us into the garden with a pail of water, a salt shaker, and a paring knife.

We would work out way through the peas, radishes and beans, then on to the carrots and kohlrabi. The water was used to wash off the dirt, the knife to peel the vegetables and salt made the kohlrabi so much better tasting. In the fall, Mom would also dig up the horseradish for a special treat.

While I don't eat these recipes often, they bring about a wealth of memories - places, people, and my Mom's ability to make these dishes without any measuring or fuss.

In a large measuring cup:
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon chopped dill weed
a pinch of sugar
salt
pepper

Pour ingredients of measuring cup over slices and let marinate for at least 1/2 hour before serving. Stir occasionally.