365 Pickle Salad

365 Pickle Salad? What does that mean?  Well — 365 days a year you can enjoy fresh pickles.  Yup, it’s true!  With 6 simple ingredients, too.  Cucumber, red onion, garlic, some dill, vinegar, and salt.  My mom used to make something similar growing up with cukes and onions from the garden splashed with white vinegar.  This recipe is similar to that, with a couple extra “pickle” features.

You may notice that these cucumbers seem awfully small, especially in comparison with the red onion and garlic.  They are called “mini cukes” and this was my first time trying them.  Produce being the price that it is right now — my first goal in the grocery store is price, and then quality.  Most veggies and even fruit look so…  sad in the stores at this time of the year.  So, this package of “Mini Cukes” fit the bill, and into the cart it went.  Ever since I picked up the package though, the idea of pickles wouldn’t leave my mind.  They were straight, firm, blemish free — perfect cucumbers for pickling.

So, to satisfy this new craving of pickles, 365 Pickle Salad was created.

I actually used a mandoline to slice my veggies up. This is the one I use:.Swissmar Borner V-1001 V-Slicer Plus Mandoline.  Remember, they are really REALLY sharp, so be sure to use the guard.  It sliced up the cucumbers and onion in no time. (Ok, seriously, maybe 2 minutes.)  Definitely a time saver, and each piece is completely uniform to the next if you’re kind of a perfectionist like me.

So, you place your cucumber, and onion in a bowl, add your minced garlic.  If you dread chopping garlic, invest in a micoplane. This one, Microplane 38004 Professional Fine Spice Grater is the one I use. **Yikes — 2 links to Amazon in less than 100 words.  I promise, I’m not looking to get rich from these links — I’m just trying to make a few pennies, while more importantly share the tools which I absolutely love to use in my own kitchen.

After the garlic, you add your dill, salt, and rice vinegar.  I decided to stray from Mom’s recipe here because rice vinegar is so much more mellow.  Even the unseasoned kind I used in this recipe.  It doesn’t have that “Salt & Vinegar” bite that makes you remember you have chapped lips.  Ha!  Rice vinegar can be found in almost all grocery stores.  If it’s not stocked with the regular white, and balsamic vinegars — Try the Asian aisle.

The salad is that easy.  Cut, mix, and refrigerate.  I let mine sit in the fridge for 15 minutes, and it was great.  But you could prep this a few hours in advance if planning ahead for a BBQ or picnic…  **Smiling.. maybe not in February though.