Off the grid of late, spending every available minute, and every ounce of inspiration, on a book synopsis that had to be submitted last week. My two protagonists (female 31-year old first cousins) are of Polish descent, and Eastern European food has been on my mind.
A handheld mandolin is my key to this salad’s success.
This salad is my daughter’s recipe and was inspired by my mother-in-law’s Slavic kitchen–heavy on the cucumber and fresh dill. As recipes go, I added my own stamp––cooked farro and fennel, and for the past several months I’ve been making some variation of this weekly. In my book of rules, that’s the mark of a recipe worthy of sharing.
I love the addition of farro, the powerhouse grain, which adds a welcome earthiness and chew to the salad so that it can suffice as a main course.
The key to success is using a mandolin. One of my favorite kitchen tools, it is handy for slicing foods paper thin. Years ago I purchased an expensive large, stainless mandolin but it takes up too much valuable kitchen space. I put it in storage and never use it. Enter the $14.99 hand-held mandolin that is easy to store, clean and serves my purposes as well as the big boy.
(Note that I’m not, nor have I ever been, compensated for endorsing product I like. Just want to share my experiences if they are positive.)
If you’re not on a sodium-restricted diet, the salted cucumbers lend the balance and contribute to the flavor profile. I don’t skip this step and take a heavy hand with the shaker. Mix and match ingredients according to your whim. I often add avocado and when tomatoes are in season, will substitute them for the radishes.
