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A cool, refreshing way to use some of the season's bounty of cucumbers by Heather Forsyth.

The first cookbook I ever bought was an early vegetarian cookbook called The Vegetarian Epicure, by Anna Thomas.  It was published in 1972 (yes, I was a child cook!) and was one of the first vegetarian cookbooks that offered (for the time) a more sophisticated approach to vegetarian cooking -- not a piece of tofu in sight.  There's a lot of butter, cream and cheese, far more than most cooks would use today, but my tattered copy is still on my bookshelf, and I've made many recipes, some over and over again, from its pages.  Soups, salads and sauces are especially good.  If you can get your hands on a copy, I recommend it, both for the recipes and for her fun approach.  It's the only cookbook I know of that talks about passing a joint around before dinner -- she's obviously a child of the 60's!

This cucumber salad is one of Anna's recipes.  I use yogurt instead of sour cream, and usually add a little chopped mint as well -- I've made it at least once every summer for over 30 years.  It's easily modified to make more or less, this version serves 4-6.

Cucumbers in Sour Cream

Ingredients

• 4-5 medium cucumbers
  
• 1 1/2 T. salt
  
• 2 Tbs. sour cream (or yogurt)
  
• 1 T. chopped fresh chives
  
• 2 T. chopped fresh dill
  
• 1 T. chopped fresh mint (optional)
  
• 1 clove garlic, put through a press
  
• fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Peel the cucumbers, quarter them lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds.
   
2. Slice the long strips at an angle, into even little disks.
   
3. Add the salt, mix well, and set aside for 1 hour.
   
4. Rinse the cucumbers well and blot off excess liquid.
   
5. Stir in remaining ingredients (black pepper to taste).
   
6. Chill at least one hour, stir again, then serve.