Czech Republic Comfort Food Recipe for Salad of Chopped Tomatoes With Cucumbers

The seasoning medley distinguishes the pairing of fresh cucumbers with tomatoes in this chopped and sliced salad recipe from Czech cuisine. Salad of Chopped Tomatoes with Sliced Cucumbers (nakrájená rajčata a salátová okurka) displays Czech culinary artistry through nuanced seasoning of two basic, prolific garden plants: cucumbers and tomatoes.

Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) numbers among the quartet of seasonings. The flavorful herb contributes a distinctive aroma to European -- especially Mediterranean -- cuisine. My family retains the leaf, after cooking, for the salad dressing. We either:

• crush it close to the end of the simmer or
• allow the leaf to crumble naturally during the toss.

Those who enjoy the flavoring imparted by bay leaves during cooking but prefer not to consume the leaf may:

• refrain from crushing during the simmer and
• remove whole leaf from cooled seasoning mixture, prior to the toss.

In summer, my family often extracts the whole leaf after cooling for placement in a high mosquito traffic area. The herb contains cineol, a compound that is a natural insect repellent. Crumbling intensifies the compound's release.

Simmering the seasonings is the only time consumer (about 15 minutes) in this refreshing recipe.

Ingredients for 6 servings

According to portion size, yields 4 to 6+ servings.

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vinegar

dash of salt

2 allspice leaves

1 bay laurel leaf

2 peppercorns

3 medium tomatoes, chopped into eighths

cucumber, 2 medium or 1 large, sliced

1. On medium-to-high heat, bring water to a boil and then add vinegar and spices (allspice, bay leaf, peppercorns).

2. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Remove from heat to allow to cool.

3. While vinegar sauce is cooling:  

• Combine chopped tomatoes and cucumber slices in a bowl.
• Dash with salt.
• Cover briefly to toss gently.

4. Strain seasonings from vinegar sauce and drizzle over salad.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

nakrájená rajčata a salátová okurka: Dezidor, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nakrájená_rajčata_a_salátová_okurka.jpg

A bowl of dried bay leaves for use in cooking: Jonathunder, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BayLeaves.JPG

Zelená kuchyňská linka (Green kitchen cabinet): Pavel Ševela (Sevela.p)/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_kitchen_cabinet_(1).jpg