The Covered Dish - Cucumber and Tomato Marinade

August 18, 2021

We enjoyed some pretty spectacular foods at our home this weekend, a rich pot of Gumbo, Shrimp on the grill, salads, homemade meatloaf with all the fixings, and a big marinated summer salad. Time to rest for a day! I did enjoy a meal out in my car Wednesday evening!!! I know big thrill, in the car. If you haven’t enjoyed a Wendy’s strawberry chicken salad be sure and get one before the summer ends. It’s their ‘special’ summer salad, I think I’m up to 3 at this time. I hope I have 1-2 more before they are removed from the menu.
Though I didn’t put in any garden this year I have been receiving and purchasing some pretty nice Missouri tomatoes. Just about every meal is accompanied with a side of tomato. Tomorrow night it’s going to be the recipe I’m featuring with our dinner.
The fresh produce of summer is refreshing on the palate as the temperatures rise. When they’re prepared with vinegar based dressings they tend to hold longer in the refrigerator and they’re better for us. Today when I made a big marinade salad I based it upon everything our son, Phillip likes. So glad he enjoys cilantro! It was full of legume proteins and fresh summer vegetables.
When it comes to these marinated salads the other plus is you can make a different one each week, for the lunchbox. Add a fruit, cheese and maybe a piece of lean meat and the lunch is complete. I just take the entire bowl to work on Monday, and don’t worry about dirtying up small bowls each day.
With the cream salad dressings explore a little and see if they can’t be made with sour cream or yogurt, versus pure salad dressing or Miracle Whips. Sour cream and yogurt are pretty close to the same, they vary very little nutritionally.
As the kids come home from school some will be hot from riding the school bus. Chopped vegetables and a cool dip will help cool them out better than a heavy carb, ‘after school snack’.
It is time to start monitoring the cupboards at home. Since none of us know what is going to happen with the next Covid shift it’s wise to be prepared, in as many facets as possible. Here are just a few things I’m currently doing:

1) Monitoring spices, and refreshing those needed for fall baking.

2) Taking inventory of green beans, beans in general, corn, and tomatoes

which are canned.

3) Replenishing frozen vegetables, (Only because our garage frig died!)

4) Next is a review of rice and pastas.
Look out Aldi’s here I come!

Well, we’ve got some work to do. Enjoy your week, catch more time for yourself and do good things for others. Simply yours, The Covered Dish. www.thecovereddish.com

Cucumber and Tomato Marinade

4 small cucumbers, washed and thinly sliced

2 medium tomatoes, halved & sliced, seeds removed

(May substitute with grape tomatoes, halved.)

Dressing

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/3 cup granulated white sugar

As you prepare the tomatoes for the salad remove the seeds, unless you are using grape tomatoes. This will keep the dressing from diluting down. Place the dressing ingredients, except for the oil in a saucepan. Heat thoroughly, bringing to a gentle boil. Lastly stir in the oil, whisking to blend smooth. Allow the dressing to return to room temperature, before covering the tomatoes and cucumbers.
This salad may sit overnight in the refrigerator. My choice, however, would probably be to put the dressing over the cucumbers overnight and add the tomatoes an hour or so before serving. If, you are using grape tomatoes I think it would be safe to put the dressing over both the cucumbers and tomatoes overnight.
A light sprinkling of mint, parsley or basil would be a nice finale. If there are a great deal of flavors on the plate I would probably not use the additional herbs.