Cucumber Salad (gurkensalat)

This delicious and refreshing salad is adapted from a German recipe. It is perfect as an accompaniment to cured sliced meat, barbecue meats and most cheeses. The salt helps soften the cucumber and leech it's juices into the dressing. Delicious!

Ingredients:

1 whole cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

A sprig of mint, finely chopped

A pinch of salt

2 teaspoons of sugar

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup white wine or cider vinegar

Method:

In a large bowl combine the cucumber and chopped mint. Add the salt and sugar to the warm water and stir to dissolve. Add the vinegar and the dissolved salt and sugar to the bowl of cucumber and mint, and allow to cool. Decant into an air tight container and store in the fridge overnight to allow the flavours to develop.

Variants:

An alternate dressing is 2 tablespoons of vinegar and a cup of plain yoghurt mixed with a pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons of honey and the chopped herbs.

You can mix and match herbs to suit your taste. The best ones to use are mint, parsley, and dill.

Enjoy!