Scandinavian cucumber salad

I guess there used to be a vegetarian restaurant in Bloomington called Tao. I would have loved to eat there! I don't know how long it was in business, but a book of recipes from the restaurant -- The Tao of Cooking by Sally Pasley -- was given to me when I was a 15-year-old vegetarian. My vegetarianism didn't last too long, but the book has been so loved, I finally had to replace my tattered original with a new one a couple years ago.

Several of the recipes in the book are favorites of mine, including the cream of mushroom soup, apple beignets, and the salad I made this weekend, Scandinavian cucumber salad.

It would probably taste good using a whole-milk yogurt in place of the sour cream, too, but I haven't tried that yet. This salad went great with barbecue chicken and grilled potatoes.

Scandinavian cucumber salad (serves 4 as a side dish)

2-3 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

pinches of salt, black pepper, and sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)

2 teaspoons finely minced red onion

1/8 teaspoon garlic, finely minced

1/4 teaspoon dill weed

1.) Salt the cucumber cubes and let them drain in a colander for 20 minutes.

2.) Whisk together all other ingredients.

3.) Add the cucumber to the dressing; toss.