I've been following this thread as I too, have been meaning to make a cucumber salad. I have so many cukes coming out of my garden and need to find some ways to use them up. I can't even give to neighbors as one of my neighbors has several cuke plants and has already picked about 50 cukes! I only have one plant and mine has produced at least 12. Today I made a cuke, tomato, feta salad - I had so many tomatoes I needed to use them up too. That's our side dish with dinner tonight. Tomorrow I'm going to make a cucumber salad using one of the several recipes listed above. Now to figure out which one!

How about Garlic soup? I've made something similar and would suggest skipping the egg & giving the soup a run through with an immersion blender. The soup is creamy & light. This isn't my recipe but I do have a T&T that I can post if you think that you'd like it. ----------------------------------------------- Sopa de Ajo (garlic soup) Ingredients: Water 5 Garlic cloves. Olive Oil 2-3 pinches of Salt One or two days-old bread in slices. The typical bread used for this soup in Burgos is "hogaza" a big rounded bread. 1 egg. Sweet paprika, hot paprika, or both! 1 dried red pepper (optional) Directions: Add water to a saucepan (some 2 litres), the salt, 2 spoonfuls of olive oil, the dried pepper and 4 garlic cloves in thin slices. Bring it to boil. Meanwhile, cut the bread into pieces, not very big, not very small. When garlic slices had been boiling until they are tender, add the pieces of old bread and let it boil. (To know if garlic is ready, take one slice from the saucepan and try with a fork. It the slice of garlic is tender, its cooked). Prepare a small frying pan and poor some olive oil on it (not very much, maybe 1 teaspoon will be enough). When the oil is hot, add 1 garlic clove previously cut in very, very small slices. Let them fry until they take a brown color, but be careful, dont let them get burned, as they would give this soup a very bitter flavour! When garlic on the frying pan is brown, add some paprika or cayenne pepper, the one you prefer. Dont add too much. Just the quantity you can take on the tip of the knife. Stir for a short time, after having removed the frying pan from heat, so that paprika (or cayenne) does not burn. Add a little bit of water on it and poor this mixture on the saucepan, covering the already boiled garlic and bread. Remove the saucepan from heat. Bit the egg and add it to the saucepan, stirring at the same time, until you see the bitten egg becomes solid, dissolved in the soup. Let it stand some minutes and the garlic soup is ready! Tips: We, at home, also add some chopped green pepper to the boiling garlic with bread. Other times, we add some slices of mushroom, but this just depends on your preferences. --------------------------------------------------- Nina

Antipasto Salad Romaine, chopped, iceberg, chopped, butter lettuce, chopped Mix and layer lettuces on large platter. Top with garbanzo beans, 1 chunk of hard salami, cubed, 1 chunk of provolone, cubed, 2 red tomatoes cut in bit-sized chunks and drizzle with Italian dressing. Chicken/cabbage salad 4 C. shredded cabbage, 4 green onions, sliced (1/2 C.), 1 chicken breast cubed, 1/2 C. slice almonds, roasted, 2 T. sesame seeds, 1 pkg oriental flavored Ramen noodles. Dressing: 2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. sugar, 4 T. sweetener, 6 T. rice vinegar, seasoning packet from noodles, 1/2 C. canola oil Toast sesame seeds, almonds and Ramen noodles under broiler watching closely not to burn. toss cabbage, onion, chicken, almonds, sesame seeds and noodles with dressing just before serving. Cobb Salad 2 C. lettuce, 2 tomatoes, 1 avocado, 6 slices bacon, crumbled, 2 C. cooked chicken, cubed, 3 hard cooked eggs, blue cheese. Dressing: Old fashion French 1/4 C. water, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce, 1/4 tsp. minced garlic, 3/4 c. veg. oil, 1/4 c. red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/4 tsp. Coleman's dry mustard, 1/4 c. olive oil.

Our favorite salad is the one the waiter mixes together tableside at the Columbia restaurant, even though I often make it here. It’s a meal. Make the dressing a day or two in advance. “The Columbia’s Original “1905” Salad™ was selected as “One of America’s Top 10 Best Salads” by USA Today. In the 1970s, this flavorful salad was the Columbia’s answer to the ubiquitous salad bar. Created by waiter Tony Noriega in the 1940s, it was adapted by the Columbia. The Columbia kitchen designed a new dressing that features Worcestershire sauce, lemon, and Parmesan cheese. When the president of Lea and Perrins heard that the Columbia was his biggest customer, he investigated and ate an Original “1905” Salad.™ He soon discovered the salad’s delights for himself. Salad Ingredients 4 cups iceberg lettuce, broken into 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" pieces 1 ripe tomato, cut into eighths 1/2 cup baked ham, julienned 2" × ⅛" (may substitute turkey or shrimp) 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, julienne 2" × ⅛" 1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green Spanish olives “1905” Dressing (see recipe below) 1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated 2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce® 1 lemon Preparation Combine lettuce, tomato, ham, Swiss cheese, and olives in a large salad bowl. Before serving, add “1905” Dressing, Romano cheese, Worcestershire, and the juice of 1 lemon. Toss well and serve immediately. Makes 2 full salads or 4 side salads. “1905” Dressing Ingredients 1/2 cup extra-virgin Spanish olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons dried oregano ⅛ cup white wine vinegar Salt and pepper to taste Salad Dressing Preparation Mix olive oil, garlic, and oregano in a bowl with a wire whisk. Stir in vinegar, gradually beating to form an emulsion, and then season with salt and pepper. For best results, prepare 1 to 2 days in advance and refrigerate.