(Uborkasalata)

　　With little or no refrigeration and often only impure water available until the twentieth century, ordinary people did not risk eating fresh vegetables that couldn't be peeled or shelled. Cucumber, beet, or cabbage salads were about the only ones used in Eastern Europe, and cooked salads featuring eggplant or broiled peppers were served in many Mediterranean countries. Lettuce, the base of most crisp salads we eat today, had to be cleaned in sterilized water and eaten immediately.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

　　2 medium or large cucumbers

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　Pinch of sugar

　　1/4 cup white vinegar

　　Dash of garlic powder

　　1/2 cup water

　　Sweet paprika

　　Black pepper

　　

Step 1

1. Peel the cucumbers and slice them very thin. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 30-60 minutes with a plate and a 5-pound weight on top. Squeeze out the water on a paper towel.

　　

Step 2

2. Combine the sugar, vinegar, garlic powder, and water. Add the cucumbers and marinate for a few hours. To serve, sprinkle paprika on half of the salad and black pepper on the other half.

　　From Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook by Joan Nathan Copyright (c) 2004 by Joan Nathan Published by Knopf.Joan Nathan's books include The Jewish Holiday Kitchen, The Children's Jewish Holiday Kitchen, and Jewish Cooking in America, which won the IACP Julia Child Award for Best Cookbook of the Year in 1995 and the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook. She contributes articles on international ethnic food and special holiday features to the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Hadassah Magazine, Food & Wine, and Food Arts. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Allan Gerson, and their three children.