What a difference a week, a little rain, a ten-degree cool down, and some intentional changes can make. My Carrot and I are no longer so grumpy, and boy am I ever grateful for that. We’ve been cooking most nights, trying to work shorter days, watching The Floor is Lava and Holey Moley to unwind at night, and just generally trying to make the most of this summer/safer-at-home/farming life.

Last week that involved a couple bonfires, some socially distant visits with friends, and four lazy hours on a lake with about seven total minutes of paddling (and a whole lot more fishing, reading, lounging and sipping on delicious things). We know another heat wave is coming so we’re savoring each perfect day.

There is still a lot of good and bad happening out there in the fields– it is farming after all– but we’re diligently practicing letting go of both perfection and being too hard on ourselves (we’re just in the wrong career for those things). So all I have to say about the state of our farm right now is that the cucumbers have bounced out of whatever weird funk they were in and we’re now happily toting in 500-600 pounds a week for our members and wholesale accounts. It’s somehow, not too much.

In times of abundance, I just love leaning on recipes from my mother so much. Much like the zucchini pie recipe I shared last week, this is a GEM I’ve been devouring since childhood. It’s creamy (obviously), crunchy, tangy and a little sweet: a dream summer salad. I love eating it on the side of anything summery (burgers, brats, ribs, grilled fish) and sometimes when I’m too tired from a long day in the fields, I just eat a heaping bowl on its own for dinner.

My mom makes this salad with Miracle Whip (a product adult Leek does not understand or keep in the house) so I adjusted things every so slightly to my own fridge and preference. Like most of my summer salad recipes, the dressing includes half mayonnaise and half Greek yogurt. It’s an easy hack to make things lighter without sacrificing (or even affecting) the flavor too much. Sometimes I even go so bold as to combine three parts Greek yogurt to one part mayonnaise. Enjoy in whatever form you like! You won’t be disappointed.

-Leek

CREAMY CUCUMBERS

Serves 2-4 as a side (though I am known to eat the whole bowl for dinner)
Takes 15 minutes (but gets better the longer you let it sit)

4 cucumbers, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 Walla Walla onion, halved and sliced
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoon white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Dill, optional

1. In a large bowl, combine cucumbers and onions.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayo, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth. Pour over cucumbers and onions and toss gently to combine. Garnish or season with dill (if you like).
3. Serve immediately or chill for an hour to let the flavors really meld together.