A tomato and cucumber salad, dressed lightly with a seasoned, mayonnaise-based dressing and lots of crumbled bacon!
Bacon, Cucumber and Tomato Salad
I didn't have nearly as many tomatoes or cucumbers this year. Early on, in the spring, they did great, but then by June we had constant, heavy rainstorms - which, by the way haven't stopped - intertwined with heat indexes in the triple digits - that haven't stopped either - and the tomatoes really suffered.
Guess I'm either going to have to start from seed so I can plant earlier, or else just forget about it and hit the fresh market weekly for my tomato fix!
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| My early tomatoes - Deep South Dish on Instagram |
Just a quick reminder.... if you aren't interested in the chit chat, info, photos, tips and such on a blog, as always, you'll find the complete recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll down to the bottom of the post!Recently my granddaughter had a joint, outdoor birthday party with one of her best friends and it was scorching. The Cajun and I couldn't stay more than a hot minute to visit and drop off her gift. All the kids seemed to be having a grand time though in the pool and on the inflatable water slide.
Eh, these days are really all about them anyway and not us old folks. Oh but to be a child again!
One thing's for sure though.
Summertime and heat means a steady supply of cooling foods though, tomato and cucumber being right in the top of the list, and all kinds of salads are on the menu!
I love this one, but of course... it has bacon! But I especially like that it's light on the mayo and just as simple as can be, but still delicious.
First things first gotta cook up that bacon.
Do it in the skillet, in the oven - my personal favorite when I'm cooking more than a couple slices - or whatever your favorite method is. Set aside to cool, crumble and reserve a bit for garnish.
Simply dressed with mayo and a few seasonings.
Add the dressing to the tomato mixture. Fold in the remaining bacon. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour if needed. Garnish with a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning and the reserved bacon. Easy!)
This salad is really only lightly dressed with mayonnaise, so the tomatoes and cucumbers really shine and I like to cut them into good sized chunks. Since my garden tomatoes and cucumbers have been ripening in a variety of sizes from the garden, for purposes of writing a recipe you could use, rather than measure them by count, I measured them chopped.
Peel and chop cucumber.
Cut tomatoes into chunks.
Toss cucumber and tomatoes together to let the juices start to develop.. Season with salt.
For the dressing you'll need mayonnaise, Creole or Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and black pepper. Whip up a very simple dressing of mayo with salt, pepper, Creole or Cajun seasoning and garlic. I recently discovered Justin Wilson's Cajun seasoning {affil link} and wow is it good y'all, plus it's Certified Cajun, meaning it's made in Louisiana.
Mix together the seasoning with the mayo.
Add mixture to tomatoes and gently toss.
Reserve a pinch of the bacon for garnish and add remaining bacon to salad. Gently toss, taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning and the reserved bacon if serving right away. Otherwise, reserve garnish and refrigerate until needed or for 1 hour to chill.
For more of my favorite cucumber salads, check out the collection on my Pinterest page!
My favorite kitchen tool featured in this post is my Rada tomato slicer. {affil link} This dual serrated knife so beautifully slices through the soft skin of a tomato, never squishing or tearing it. Like all of your good kitchen knives, never put them in a dishwasher. Always hand wash only. So sturdy, they feel great in your hand and they'll last a long time - and they're made right here in the U.S.A.
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