Potluck Picnic with Creamy Cucumber Salad
Welcome to my Potluck Picnic … a weekly newsletter containing an assortment of
recipes, tips, humor and stories to inspire you to appreciate, cook, eat and share good food.
So pull up a chair and join the conversation!
quote of the week
God be with you til we meet again
By his counsels guide, uphold you
With his sheep securely fold you
God be with you til we meet again.
God be with you til we meet again
Neath his wings securely hide you
Daily manna still provide you
God be with you til we meet again.
God be with you til we meet again
When life’s perils thick confound you
Put his arms unfailing round you
God be with you til we meet again.
God be with you til we meet again
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you
Smite death’s threatening wave before you
God be with you til we meet again.
Til we meet, til we meet
Til we meet, at Jesus’ feet.
Til we meet, til we meet
God be with you til we meet again.
Lyrics by: Jeremiah Rankin
Composed by: William Tomer
Of books, music, movies and podcasts
There are a few things that are expected at our family reunion: ridiculous amounts of food, raucous laughter and a hymn sing. The lyrics above are from the last song we sing each year. I have memories of my grandmother leading us in songs with the “voice that God gave me”: not strong, not on pitch, but full of gratitude.
This hymn not only sends out a blessing to everyone in attendance, but to those members of our family who were not able to attend. It reminds us that no matter what happens in the next year, we will meet again someday “at Jesus feet” along with those who have gone before us. I love this song but never really looked into it’s history.
Written in 1882, this song was created as a hymn for a church choir to sing at the close of each worship service as a good-bye song. The inspiration for the first line came when Rankin discovered the dictionary definition for the word “good-bye” was “God be with you” (source: Godtube). How did I never know this? So I went to dictionary.com and typed in “good-bye”. Should it have surprised me that definition is no longer there? Probably not. But it made me sad.
Until I scrolled down a little further on the page:
Origin Of Goodbye: First recorded in 1565-75; Contraction of God Be With Ye
Have you heard anyone say “don’t say good-bye, say I’ll see you later”? Have we changed the meaning of “good-bye”? Now that I know this piece of history, I will be intentional about actually saying “good-bye”. Maybe I’ll even get a chance to share the meaning with someone who really needs to hear it.
what’s up in the garden
Three years ago, Marty and I spent a week in SW Colorado. Part of the week was spent at a fly-fishing lodge called Black Canyon Anglers. Beyond fly-fishing and gorgeous scenery, this place also has an organic garden and peach orchard. The evening meals are 3-course dinners made primarily from produce grown on the property. While eating one of the salads, we were introduced to the Lemon Cucumber … appropriately named for the shape and color but also for the light citrus flavor.
The Lemon Cucumber has been a part of my garden ever since that trip and they encourage conversation as they are unfamiliar to most people. The one disadvantage to these cucumbers is the large amount of seeds. I would highly recommend either slicing these very thin, or removing the seeds and the skin and dicing the flesh. Combining traditional cucumbers with the lemon cucumbers works well too!
Want to read more about our foodventure in SW Colorado? Click here.
this week’s recipe: Creamy Cucumber Salad
This past weekend, my mom’s family gathered for our annual family reunion. Along with reconnecting with my aunts, uncles and cousins, it is a great opportunity to pick up new recipes! This cucumber salad was among the buffet of salad choices. I was expecting the usual sour cream dressing but this was even better. It was in an older, green pyrex bowl and as everyone started to gather their things to leave, I was watching that bowl to see who would pick it up. No one was claiming it. Finally, someone said they thought my niece had made it but they hadn’t been able to stay. One text message later and here it is …
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 Lemon zested and juiced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4-5 cups sliced cucumbers
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine onion, olive oil, vinegar and oregano. Stir and allow to marinate at room temperature while preparing the salad.
- Combine yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, dill, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Add cucumbers and stir to coat evenly. Add the onions and the marinade, stirring to combine.
- Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes before serving.
NOTE: The picture above has a combination of typical cucumbers and some of the lemon cucumbers from my garden. Also, do not let the less-than-awesome picture of this salad dissuade you from trying the recipe … sure wish I would have taken a picture of the salad in that green bowl! #missedopportunities
if you haven’t tried this one yet …
Instead of linking another recipes here, I thought you might enjoy seeing a post I wrote in 2016 about our family reunion:
what can you bring to the next potluck picnic?
Comment below in the “LEAVE A REPLY” box to share:
- do you have a favorite hymn?
- what’s one food you always hope will be at a potluck?
Don’t miss a single Potluck Picnic … add your e-mail address to my list and you’ll
receive your personal invitation to each weekly newsletter right in your inbox.
Just click on the “Join The Picnic” button at the bottom-right of this screen.