Cucumber Salad with Blackberry Browned Butter Vinaigrette #SundaySupper


It's Sunday! And time for Sunday Supper. It's the only day of the week I am committed to cooking (except today!) Join in on the virtual Summer BBQ Party! Today, I have an amazing story for you:

I am currently in Orlando, Florida for the incomparable Food & Wine Conference sponsored by Sunday Supper and a host of other sponsors and brands, acting as brand ambassador for Dixie Crystals sugar--promoting the brand and the winners of the Dixie Crystals Brownie Dessert Contest, as I won the contest last year!

Knowing I'd be in Orlando during the conference, I still signed up to post, knowing I could just schedule and be on my merry conferencing way. I made my salad, shot some photos on my back porch in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and planned to edit later. Well, the shots ended up being blurry, ugly (UGHHHH!) and supremely unusable. Did I mention blurry? I'll spare your eyes because all evidence has been deleted!

I was to leave for Orlando in just a few short hours. What's a girl to do? I packed a fresh English cucumber, fresh dill, some leftover browned butter vinaigrette in a Ziploc bag (3 oz. TSA approved, of course) and a half-pint of fresh blackberries I purchased at Food Lion in my carry-on. I was going to recreate my salad in my room and shoot the salad under the beautiful setting of the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort.

And I did.

Kind of. Ish.

The conference has been action-packed and there was plenty of down time, but the pools, the spa, the restaurants and the gorgeous view from my room pulled me away from thinking about my un-photographed dish. I had to order a knife to be delivered to my room (hello, room service) so I could complete my dish. Was it worth the trouble and this ridiculous adventure? Make this salad and YOU be the judge.

This week, Melanie of Melanie Makes and Jennie of Messy Baker Blog are kicking off this Summer BBQ party the right way by being gracious, thoughtful co-hosts. Don't forget to check them out and tell them Nik Snacks sent you!

Cucumber Salad with Blackberry Browned Butter Vinaigrette
Makes 4 cups

I looked around my blog and realized I did not have a classic cucumber salad. I don't have many "classic" things on this blog and I wasn't about to start a trend with this. The browned butter vinaigrette is an unexpected, unique showstopper. Try it for your next picnic or outdoor grilling event (AKA barbecue, anywhere except the South)


Cucumber Salad with Blackberry Browned Butter Vinaigrette

Cucumber Salad with Blackberry Browned Butter Vinaigrette

Yield: 4
Author: Nikki Miller-Ka of Nik Snacks
I am currently in Orlando, Florida for the incomparable Food & Wine Conference sponsored by Sunday Supper and a host of other sponsors and brands, acting as brand ambassador for Dixie Crystals sugar--promoting the brand and the winners of the Dixie Crystals Brownie Dessert Contest, as I won the contest last year! The conference has been action-packed and there was plenty of down time, but the pools, the spa, the restaurants and the gorgeous view from my room pulled me away from thinking about my un-photographed dish. I had to order a knife to be delivered to my room (hello, room service) so I could complete my dish. Was it worth the trouble and this ridiculous adventure? Make this salad and YOU be the judge.

Ingredients

  • 2 English cucumbers, sliced thin, on the bias
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 5 Tablespoons fresh blackberry juice
  • 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or salad oil
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped shallot
  • 1/8 teaspoon mustard
  • Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • Optional: 4 ounces fresh blackberries cut in half for garnish

Instructions

  1. Slice English cucumbers into rounds, 1/4 inch thick. If using Kirby or other variety of cucumber, slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds in the middle, then slice into rounds (or crescents, at this point).
  2. Put the sliced cucumbers in a colander and sit the colander in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let sit in the refrigerator for an hour. Drain the cucumbers and toss with black pepper and the fresh dill.
  3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until browned but not burned (it should smell like toasted nuts) about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. In a blender or food processor, combine the fresh blackberry juice, (or blend 1/4 cup blackberries in juicer or food processor before beginning) vinegar, shallot and mustard. Blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the reserved brown butter and blend until thickened. Season to taste and set aside at room temperature until ready to toss and drizzle with the sliced cucumbers.

Calories

343.31

Fat (grams)

31.12

Sat. Fat (grams)

12.67

Carbs (grams)

16.52

Fiber (grams)

3.06

Net carbs

13.46

Sugar (grams)

11.00

Protein (grams)

1.67

Sodium (milligrams)

771.17

Cholesterol (grams)

45.77
Please consult a healthcare professional or dietician about nutritional needs for your diet. I am a communications professional, not a physician.
Did you make this recipe?
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Don't forget to visit others sharing Summer BBQ Party recipes through Sunday Supper. You will find something to help you take your next BBQ up a few notches!

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About the author

Nikki Miller-Ka

Nikki Miller-Ka

Ms. Miller-Ka is a classically trained chef with a BA in English from East Carolina University and a Culinary Arts Associate Degree from Le Cordon Bleu-Miami.

Formerly, she’s worked as a researcher, an editorial assistant, reporter and guest blogger for various publications and outlets in the Southeast. She has also worked as a catering chef, a pastry chef, a butcher, a baker, and a biscuit-maker. Presently, she is a food editor, freelance food writer, and a tour guide for Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours.

Leave a reply

  1. Not only does this sound delicious, but your adventure making it sounds like so much fun! I'm quite jealous of you and all the others having fun there in Florida - maybe some day I'll be able to make it, right now family and budget prevent me from traveling alone! I would love it if you would bring this delicious dish to my recipe link party The Yuck Stops Here this week starting Tuesday evening at 8pm ET. You can always find us on my site at Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos! See you soon! HUGS

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    1. I hope I'm able to link up with you and hopefully you'll be able to join in on the conference fun NEXT year!

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  2. This salad looks worth all the trouble! Love the flavor combo and beautiful plating!

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  3. That is dedication to recreate this in your hotel room and bring it on a flight to Florida. Sounds fabulous and hope you are enjoying the conference!

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  4. What a delicious salad for a Summer BBQ Party!!

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  5. I am so stealing this blackberry browned butter vinaigrette!

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  6. So intrigued by this flavor combination!

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  7. You are a ROCK STAR! You made this dish in your room???? Wow. It sounds wonderful. I am so happy I got the chance to meet you in person! You are magnetic and see why your life has changed in such positive ways!

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    1. Thanks so much, Liz! And yes, I did! I mixed it up in the ice bucket lol And it was such a joy getting to know you. See you soon!

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  8. What a great combination of flavors Nikki! Your salad sounds great!

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  9. Yum. Super delicious and bodacious, just like you. It was great to meet you. You Rock.

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  10. I love cucumber salad and adding blackberry sounds like a very good idea!

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  11. That is SOME dedication! Amazing that you managed to do this while away at the conference. I hope you had a blast--I know I'm going to love seeing your recipes from here on out! Lovely to meet ya!

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  12. WOW! What an interesting and creative recipe! I adore the sound of a browned butter blackberry vinaigrette! My mouth literally watered when I read the title of your recipe!
    Renee - Kudos Kitchen

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  13. Wow, that's quite a commitment, taking the ingredients with you to reshoot in the hotel room! Sounds great!

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  14. This is very classic, indeed! And i love anything with blackberries in it!

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  15. Love that you added blackberries to the classic cucumber salad!

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  16. Love the addition of blackberries! This salad looks delicious!

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  17. My favorite dressing is raspberry vinaigrette. Your blackberry vinaigrette is a wonderful idea! I would probably like that even better!!

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  18. What a fun, creative recipe! It sounds absolutely delicious!

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  19. This sounds really intriguing! It's the brown butter that really grabbed my attention, I don't think I've seen it on salad before.

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  20. Girl, you are a rock star! I am so impressed you managed to pack all this and take pictures of it during the conference. It looks wonderful!

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  21. oooh yes it looks like it's worth all that trouble

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  22. I was so super bummed I didn't get to join in guys in Orlando- next time for sure!

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  23. I never would have thought up this combination. It sounds wonderful and thanks for the recipe.

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  24. Wow that blackberry and brown butter sounds strange and yet amazing. When the blackberries are ripe here I think I need to give this a try.

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  25. I will definitely check out your Sunday Supper parties! How creative to add blackberries to your cucumber salad. Love it!

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  26. I love the unique combination of flavors in this salad!

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  27. LOL thats dedication on a new level!! you go girl! I hope you had plenty of time to enjoy the conference and down time! ; )

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  28. I love unique salads, and this certainly fits the bill! Yum!

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  29. So glad your salad came together!! It sounds delicious! I just picked up some gorgeous blackberries today too, so I just might have to make this for lunch. Yummm! You are such a treat! It was so nice to meet you in FL this past weekend.

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  30. Ah, the life of a food blogger! A story only a fellow food blogger can understand. You get bonus points for bringing it all with you to the conference and photographing it there!!! I love this dish, and will be making it pronto. It was so nice to meet you at the conference!!

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  31. I can't believe you threw this together in your hotel room! Sounds like a delicious salad to me--browned butter? w00t!

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