When my mom died, most of her amazing recipes died with her. A bunch are in my head but she almost never wrote any down. I was so happy to find one of those local cookbooks in her collection (you know, the ones put together by a group of people who know each other) with one of her old recipes.
Marty Norman's Hungarian Cucumber Salad
6 cucumbers, peeled and sliced very thin
1 red onion, sliced very thin
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 or 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Slice cucumbers into a large colander, salting each layer lightly. Let sit one hour. Squeeze water out of cucumbers, using hands. Rinse cucumbers to get rid of excess salt, and squeeze again. Place cucumbers and onions into a glass or china bowl. Combine vinegar, sugar, and salt. (The amount of liquid should cover cucumbers.) Taste, and adjust sugar and salt, if necessary. Pour liquid over cucumbers. Sprinkle paprika over top.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings.
Comment: Will last in refrigerator a couple of weeks.
Cyndi's comments: Use a mandolin, not a knife, to cut the cucumbers thinly (it's also way faster). Don't skip the salting/waiting/squeezing steps. Instead of sugar, use a pinch of stevia. I left out the onion and it's still good. Some fresh dill leaves are great in this. The recipe is great the first day but changes and is also wonderful after a day or two.
(posted to LCVeg May 24, 2004)