By Last week of the semester. Finals are gentle this semester — more reflection papers and observations than exams, which suits me. I have been writing the final student teaching log, which is supposed to be five pages and is currently eleven. Dr. Hennessy emailed to say "perhaps trim it slightly." I trimmed it to nine. She said "close enough." I think she understands that seven kids' worth of material does not compress down to five pages without losing something.
Graduation is Saturday. Steve and Patty are driving in from Oak Lawn. Matt is coming from Springfield. Kristin bought a plane ticket. Babcia Rose is coming in Steve's car — she has been talking about what to wear for three weeks. I have been trying not to think about it too much because every time I think about it I get overwhelmed, not in a bad way but in the way where something you worked toward for a long time is suddenly right there and you have to breathe through it.
I almost did not finish. I left NIU in October 2016. I came back in January 2017. I sat in Dr. Perkins's office in February and could not see past the end of that week. And now I am graduating with a degree in special education, fifteen months after the worst year of my life, and my family is coming and Babcia Rose has a hat. I am allowed to be overwhelmed.
Made pierogi for the first time entirely alone this week — a practice run before going home for Babcia Rose's Christmas sessions. The dough was a little tough where I worked it too much. The filling was good — potato and cheese, the right kind. The sealing held. They were not perfect. They were mine. I ate them with sour cream and butter both, because I am graduating on Saturday and Babcia Rose does not have to know.
The sour cream was already on the counter when I finished the pierogi — I had pulled it out for the filling and just never put it back, which turned out to be exactly right. I ate those imperfect dumplings with sour cream on one side of the plate and butter on the other, and I kept thinking about how that cool tang is the thing my whole family reaches for without thinking. This cucumber salad is the other place it lives in Babcia Rose’s kitchen: simple, cold, a little sharp, the kind of thing that appears on the table next to everything else and disappears before you notice. I made it the same night as the pierogi, because apparently I was in a mood to practice the whole spread.
Creamy Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 45 min (includes chilling) | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 large English cucumbers, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, roughly chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced
Instructions
- Salt and drain the cucumbers. Place the sliced cucumbers in a colander set over a bowl. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and let sit for 10—15 minutes. Press gently with a clean towel or paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible. This keeps the dressing from going watery.
- Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, white wine vinegar, sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust — it should be tangy and just barely sweet.
- Combine. Add the drained cucumbers, sliced red onion, and dill to the bowl. Fold everything together until the cucumbers are evenly coated. Don’t overmix or the cucumbers will start to weep.
- Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. The flavors come together as it sits. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, though it’s best the first day.
- Serve. Taste one more time before plating and adjust salt or vinegar as needed. Garnish with a little extra fresh dill if you have it. Serve cold alongside pierogi, roasted chicken, or anything else that wants something cool and creamy next to it.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 90 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 8g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 310mg