Cucumber and onion salad

“It’s been a pretty tough day,” he said. “No sense making it worse with a salad.” Susan Juby, “Home to Woefield”

Honestly, some of my “recipes” are so simple they hardly qualify for that word and I am hesitant to publish them. Then I remember there was a time I had never thought of doing this or combining that and I post.

Here is one of those oh-so-simple-but-oh-so-good ways to round out a summer meal.

Cucumber and Onion Salad

Using a vegetable peeler, remove most (but not all) of the skin of an English (seedless) cucumber. Rinse once more, remove both ends and slice into 1/8- to 1/4-inch rounds. Put in a large bowl and set aside.

Cut one red (best color combo) or yellow (sweetest) onion in half from root to tip. Skin the one half, cut off both ends and slice (from side to side) in thin half rings. Separate the rings with your fingers and add to the cucumber bowl. Seal the rest of the onion in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week until ready to use for something else.

Toss with 2 Tablespoons vinaigrette. (Try my Summer Sun Vinaigrette from my recipe archives, use a bottled dressing, or make your own simple one from olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, chopped garlic and a teaspoon of sugar.)

Serve with crusty bread, a pasta dish, quiche, sandwiches, veggie burgers — whatever is on your summer menu.

This recipe serves four. It does not store well. Reduce the recipe if you cannot eat this in one sitting.