Dave and I have enjoyed watching spring come to Ukraine and appreciate the new growth, green leaves and grass beginning to appear everywhere. Gray streets and shabby apartment buildings look so much better when they have bright red tulips or a blossoming apple tree growing nearby. Another plus of spring is the availability of fresh vegetables and fruit at affordable prices. The availability of produce here depends much more on the season than it does in the U.S. Although you can buy green peppers and tomatoes during the winter, they’re usually 2-3 times more expensive than they are in season. But now that it’s spring, cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes are beginning to appear alongside the winter staples of cabbage, carrots and potatoes. And after a long winter, salads with cucumbers are very exciting. The salad recipe below is a good combination of winter and spring vegetables and we’ve been eating it in large quantities recently. It’s a typical Ukrainian “spring” salad.
Ukrainian Spring Salad
½ head of cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, grated
2 med. cucumbers, finely diced
1 green onion, chopped
½ bunch fresh dill, chopped (equivalent of ¼ - 1/3 cup) – must use fresh dill for best flavor.
¼ c. vegetable oil
1 t. salt
1 T. white vinegar
Combine vegetables in large bowl, and mix oil, salt and vinegar in a smaller bowl. Add dressing to vegetables and serve. Serves 6? (or Laura and Dave for two days).
Laura
