Sarasota's Cucumber Tomato Salad in a Creamy Dill Sauce
"Classic and nothing fancy, but a great summertime salad. Growing up in Michigan, we always had a big garden, as well as tons of tomatoes. This became one of my favorite salads. Now, my Mom used to make it with sour cream back in the days ... but nowadays, I use plain yogurt which I think makes it a bit lighter. However, you can still use sour cream or even a mix of the two if you prefer."
photo by SarasotaCook
- Ready In:
- 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Serves:
-
4-6
ingredients
- 4 -5 large plum tomatoes, lightly seeded and diced (roma tomatoes)
- 1 large English seedless cucumber, peeled and cut in half moons
- 1 shallot, thin sliced
- 1⁄4 cup plain yogurt (you can use sour cream or even a mix of the two if you want)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 - 1 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh dill, minced (more or less to taste, start with 1 teaspoon and you can always add more)
- 1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
- salt
- pepper
directions
- Dressing -- Mix the yogurt, shallot. garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set to the side.
- Salad -- In a medium bowl add the cucumbers and tomatoes. Now, if you can't find a seedless cucumber, use a "regular" cucumber and lightly seed it. .
- Add the dressing to the salad along with the fresh dill and toss lightly.
- Serve -- I love to serve mine over a bed of fresh greens and broiled fish on the side. ENJOY!
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Reviews
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I've been wanting to make this recipe for months and months, but held off, waiting for the 1st of Summer's Fresh tomatoes. I'm SO glad that I waited! This recipe took 15 minutes exactly and was a HUGE hit with my family! I'm embarrassed to admit that I loved the remaining sauce so much, I was dipping my roasted chicken into it. LOL I also believe that this recipe would be STUNNING used on fresh gyros; I'm going to put that to the test next week. Simple. Flavourful. Extremely easy to put together. And if you grow your own tomatoes and cucumbers, the cost to make this would be pennies per serving. I used a micro processor to process the shallot, garlic clove and dill. When finally minced, I added the yogurt (greek-style), sugar and s & p. Blended it for a minute, let it sit while I cored and processed the tomatoes and cucumber. Tossed it in a large bowl and served in individual sauce dishes. Yet another reason why SarasotaCook is my favourite chef at Zaar: her recipes use common ingredients but the flavours explode in your mouth and create happy dining memories. A real keeper of a recipe! -
I served this as a side with our Mother's Day dinner. It was very well received! I loved the fresh taste, crispness of the cucumbers and the lovely scent and taste of the dill. It was healthy, too! -
I used half sour cream, half yogurt. I liked the flavor the shallot gave it, but found it a little tart. DH liked it. probably won't make again
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Shopping for ingred to make this (in groc store) and I saw a new prod. OPA by LItehouse in the produce area. It's a greek yogurt feta dill dressing that may suffice in a rush to make this dish. I don't like choosing processed foods over natural ingredients like yours, but is a quick option for those looking for an even shorter cut. -
This salad is very fresh and light, just what I wanted to balance out a meal of grilled barbecue pork ribs. I do like more tang in my dressing, so I prefer to add a little vinegar or lemon juice. Very good!
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
SarasotaCook
Sarasota, Florida
<p>Growing up in Michigan, I spent my summers at my cottage in the Northern part up by Traverscity. On a lake, big garden which had all the vegetables you could imagine. My mom taught school, so summers were our vacation time. Gramps and I fished all the time so fresh fish was always on the menu, perch, blue gill, walleye and small and large mouth bass. At age 5 I learned how to clean my own fish and by 10 I was making dinner, canning vegetables and fruits, making pies and fresh breads. Apples fresh picked every fall, strawberries in June and July, Cherries at the Cherry Festival in Traverscity. So fresh foods always were a big part. Mom worked as a teacher during the year so dinner was more traditional with pot roasts, meatloaf, etc, but it seemed we always had fresh fruits and vegetables as part of the meal. Mom also didn't use as many spices as I do, but times were different back then. <br /> <br />So ... My motto is ... There is NO Right and NO Wrong with cooking. So many people thing they have to follow a recipe. But NO ... a recipe is a method and directions to help and teach someone. Cooking is about personal tastes and flavors. I love garlic ... and another person may not. I like heat ... but you may not. Recipes are building blocks, NOT text ground in stone. Use them to make and build on. Even my recipes I don't follow most times --They are a base. That is what cooking is to me. A base of layer upon layer of flavors. <br /> <br />I still dislike using canned soups or packaged gravies/seasoning ... but I admit, I do use them. I have a few recipes that use them. But I try to strive to teach people to use fresh ingredients, they are first ... so much healthier for you ... and second, in the end less expensive. But we all have our moments including me. <br /> <br />So, lets see ... In the past, I have worked as a hostess, bartender, waitress, then a short order cook, salad girl in the kitchen, sort of assistant chef, head chef, co owner of a restaurant ... now a consultant to a catering company/restaurant, I cater myself and I'm a personal chef for a elderly lady. I work doing data entry during the day, and now and then try to have fun which is not very often due to my job(s). <br /> <br />I have a 21 year old who at times is going on 12, aren't they all. Was married and now single and just trying to enjoy life one day at a time. I'm writing a cookbook ... name is still in the works but it is dedicated to those people who never learned, to cook. Single Moms, Dads, or Just Busy Parents. Those individuals that think you can't make a great dinner for not a lot of money. You can entertain on a budget and I want people to know that gourmet tasting food doesn't have to be from a can of soup or a box, and healthy food doesn't come from a drive through. There are some really good meals that people can make which are healthy and will save money but taste amazing. So I guess that is my current goal. We all take short cuts and I have no problem with that - I do it too. I volunteer and make food for the homeless every couple of months, donating my time and money. I usually make soup for them and many times get donations from a local grocery stores, Sams Club, Walmart etc, with broth, and vegetables. It makes my cost very little and well worth every minute I spend. Like anyone, life is always trying to figure things out and do the best we can and have fun some how along the way.</p>
