Buttermilk Cucumber Salad and Hot Raspberry Margaritas

I have come to realize I love buttermilk in just about anything. I make a great buttermilk pie, lemon buttermilk cake, a chocolate cake that has buttermilk in it and I fry chicken using a buttermilk soak! So it is no wonder I was drawn to this Buttermilk Cucumber Salad. The recipe is from Victuals, a book by famed writer and supporter of all things Appalachia.

The cookbook also won the James Beard Foundation Book of the Year award. It's a great read that has recipes collected from her journey through the Appalachian mountains. I hope you like this salad as much as I do. Fresh is always better! If you use grocery store cucumbers, make sure to peel them to rid them of the waxy coating that gets put on them at stores. You can wash the cukes but it never really comes all the way off, so I'll peel them some. Plus while the salad is marinating, you will have time to make cocktails and this Raspberry Margarita is always a big hit. It uses the Jalapeno Raspberry Jam we have in our store from Raven's Nest, right here in South Carolina. Cheers!

Buttermilk Cucumber Salad    

2 cups thinly sliced cucumbers ( about 3/4 lb.)

1 cup whole buttermilk

1 Tbls. chopped fresh dill

1 Tbls. Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. sugar

½ tsp. ground pepper

 Combine your cucumber and onions in a bowl.

In a jar with a lid, combine rest of ingredients and shake well.  Pour over cucumbers and onions and mix well.

Cover and store in fridge for 20-30 minutes to marinate.

Kickin' Raspberry Margarita

2 Tbls. Raven's brand Raspberry Jalapeno Jam

1 oz. fresh lime

2 oz. tequila

1 oz. Agave syrup

Kosher salt for rim of glasses 

Lime and jalapeno for garnish

1. Pour salt on a small plate
2. Run a slice of lime around a margarita glass and rim your glass by turning the glass upside down and twisting into the salt.

Combine all drink ingredients in a shaker filled with ice.  Shake hard to chill.

Pour into glass and garnish with slice of lime.

To purchase the Victuals cookbook and the jams, visit our museum store at chmuseums.myshopify.com.