The Romantic Way

When you keep a few easy salad recipes handy, you can round out almost any meal in a snap. When we moved to Russia, we found out very quickly that the number of salads that you put on the table is a certain measure of the quality of your hospitality. The more salads, the more hospitable. Russians rely on everything from easy salad recipes to the more elaborate traditional recipes found in every Russian home for centuries.

We're not including Russian recipes here, yet. On a typical Russian table you'd find such dishes such as salo which is marinated raw pork fat, olivia also called winter salad which is made of potatoes, carrots, peas and balogna, or one I love, fish with beets and mayonnaise loosely translated as fish in a fur coat. We'll share with you a few of the easy salad recipes we concocted to give our Russian friends a sampling of American taste but still use basic local ingredients you can find almost anywhere.

Tangy Tomato-Cucumber Salad

Sweet & Sour Cucumbers

Crab & Apple Salad

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces -
just good food from fresh ingredients." —Julia Child

Sweet and Sour Cucumbers

Yes, another easy salad recipe from cucumbers. The problem with Russia in the winter in the central republics was the hydroponic vegetables. We seldom saw green in the winter, but when the hydroponic vegetables came around they came into the markets one at a time. One week you'd see cucumbers, the next week radishes, the next tomatoes and then cucumbers again. Gosh it was tough to make a salad!

Again, choose nice smooth cucumbers with slightly shiny skins.

1 Medium-sized cucumber
3 tbsp. White Vinegar
1 tsp. Sugar
Salt to taste
A few grinds of black pepper

I like to leave the skins on the cucumbers or if they're thick skins, just take two or three swipes at them with the peeler removing maybe half the skin. The color of the skin is nice and the skin gives the cukes a bit of a grassy or earthy flavor.

Very very thinly slice the cucumbers--as thin as you can get. Put them into a glass bowl and slosh a few tablespoons of vinegar over them. Toss them a bit to coat everything. Add the sugar, pepper and salt and toss them well again. Have a taste. They should have a touch of sweetness and a good punch of sour flavor from the vinegar. Adjust the flavors with vinegar, sugar or salt. Cover and chill for an hour or two before serving.

This easy salad recipe goes with nearly anything. It's a wonderful mid-summer addition to meat on the barbecue, corn on the cob, and fresh sliced tomatoes.

"I no longer prepare food or drink with more than one ingredient." —Cyra McFadden

Crab & Apple Salad

We always had a young, single, Tatar friend over for dinner on Wednesdays. This way he at least got one good meal a week. One Wednesday evening, the fridge was nearly bare and we came up with this easy salad recipe when nothing in the fridge really seemed to go together... Or did it?

So, what do you do with a half head of cabbage, an apple and a package of frozen imitation crab? Chop 'em up and make an easy salad recipe! It's wonderful!

3 c. Shredded or chopped cabbage
1 Red, ripe slightly tart apple
1 -- 3 or 4 oz. package imitation crab sticks
1/3 c. Mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. Vinegar
1 tbsp. Finely chopped fresh dill weed
1 tsp. Sugar 1/2 tsp. Salt
A few grinds of black pepper

Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl. Core and chop the apple into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the cabbage. Dice the imitation crab and add to the cabbage mixture. Into a smaller bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients. Mix very well with a whisk and pour into the cabbage mixture. Toss till all ingredients are coated, then cover and chill for an hour or two before serving. If after chilling the salad needs more moisture, add a tablespoon of milk.

This easy salad recipe goes nicely with any meat dish and is a pleasant accompaniment to luncheon sandwiches.

Yours along TheRomanticWay!


Rod & Holly