I’ve been attending Jane’s famous Sunday dinners for almost three years now. I love and admire how my superstar mother-in-law incorporates seasonal dishes and vegetables into her weekly rotation. Jane knows exactly what to serve in any kind of weather, any day of the week, any time of the year. Next to my mom, she is the Supreme Hostess. For this, and a hundred other reasons, she is my hero.
Her salad is a sign of warmer weather. It reminds me of a sandwich shop or 4th of July at the cabin, probably because Jane inevitably makes it when we go for the summer.
I pressed Jane to share the recipe with me so I could make it for my family at Easter, and she said, “No real recipe! That’s it. Thinly sliced cucumber, tomato seeded and cut up, sliced onion, pour on a bit of oil, then pour on rice vinegar. Salt heavily!” I’m glad she and I speak this common language. She gets the gist of a recipe and can take it from there.
Needless to say, she did end up giving more specifics. This is her recipe and pretty much everyone adores it! (Except Jim, who, for some reason prefers pies, cakes, and mac ‘n’ cheese and avoids all salad-y things…)
Part of this salad includes thinly sliced cucumbers and seeded tomatoes. A mandolin works great for slicing thin, uniform pieces of cucumber, but you don’t have one if you’re skilled with the kitchen knife. Additionally, I have found a grapefruit spoon most helpful in seeding tomatoes.
I think this salad is also well met with feta crumbles to give it a bit of Greek flair, but it’s also perfectly delicious without!
Of this salad, Jane has advised me: you definitely have to use the Kikoman Seasoned Rice Vinegar and a liberal amount of salt. It almost tastes like a lightly pickled cucumber! It is bright, acidic, and salty, perfect to balance heavier entrées like a juicy steak!
This makes a great side dish and we see it a lot on the buffet line of Sunday night dinner in the summer. Thanks for the recipe, Jane!
Jane's Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Cucumber large, sliced thinly
- 4-5 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
- ½ White onion sliced
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 3 tbsp Canola oil
- ½ cup Kikkoman seasoned rice vinegar
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl combine cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion slices. Toss to incorporate. Sprinkle with salt. Drizzle with oil and vinegar. Toss again to incorporate. Serve.
