= Cucumber Salad

== Description

A sweet, vinegar based cucumber salad with red onions and dill.

Work time is about 20 minutes, but requires two periods of rest lasting at least 2 hours each.

== Ingredients

* cucumbers
* red onion
* dill
* salt
  
* 4 parts white vinegar
* 3 parts granulated sugar
* 2 parts water

== Procedure

=== Slicing and chilling

==== Slice the cucumbers

Wash the cucumbers.

Optional: Use a vegetable pealer to peal 4 stripes down the lengths of the cucumbers. The slices should be every 90 degrees such that you have two sets on opposite sides.

Thinly slice the cucumbers.
An easy way to do this is with a mandoline over a flat baking dish.

==== Sweat the cucumbers

Once the cucumbers are sliced, they need to sweat some excess water.
Sprinkle some salt on the cucumber slices and mix throughly.
Place the cucumbers in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
For better results, leave 4 hours or even overnight.

=== After the fridge

After the cucumbers have sweat for at least 2 hours, remove them from the refrigerator.
Drain the excess liquid.

==== Prepare half a red onion.

Cut the onion half in 3rds, then slice each in thin arcs.
Add the onion pieces to the cucumbers.

==== Add dill.

For fresh dill, fine chop a couple sprigs and add them to the cucumber mixture.

For dried dill, add a tbsp to the cucumber mixture.

=== Compile the sauce

The vinegar, sugar and water should be 4 parts vinegar, 3 parts sugar and 2 parts water.
For 2 english cucumbers or 3 regular cucumbers or many, many parisian cucumbers use 1/3 cup measures, e.g. 1 1/3 cup vinegar, 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup water.

In a sauce pot bring the vinegar, sugar and water to a boil.
Boil for 2 minutes, whisking to make sure the sugar dissolves.
Pour the sauce over the cucumber mixture.
Use a spatula or fork to stir the mixture a bit and pat down cucumbers and onions to be below the surface of the liquid.

Cover and let stand a few minutes

=== Cool to salad

Make sure the cucumber mixture container is sealed, then place in refrigerator.
Let it stand for at least 2 hours.
For better results, let stand for 6 hours.

=== Prepare to serve

Take a portion for yourself to quality control and to make sure you get some before it's all gone.

Use a slotted spoon, fork or salad tongs for serving up.
Enjoy the cucumber salad chilled.

== Options

=== Fancy vinegar

Replace 1/2 or 1 part of the white vinegar with apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar.

If using balsamic vinegar, reduce the sugar by one third.

=== Spicy salad

Thinly slice 1 or 2 chili peppers such as jalepeño, anaheim or hatch and add them to the cucumber mixture at the same time as the red onion.

Optionally also dice up a few sprigs of cilantro to use rather than the dill.

=== Pickled peppers

There will be extra vinegar sauce left over.
Make some slightly sweet pickled peppers.
Add some sliced hot peppers, chopped cilantro and a couple cloves of chopped garlic.
Place back in fridge for a couple days, then enjoy.