KATHERINE CORTNER KEELING (Nashville, Tennessee) was born, raised, and lived most of her life in and around Tullahoma, Tennessee. She is known as K. K. to her three grandchildren and Great K. K. to her six great-grandchildren. Oldest granddaughter MANDY BUTTERS (Brentwood, Tennessee) shares, “At ninety-five and still independent, my grandmother is an inspiration to everyone around. Her sunny outlook on life and colorful personality brighten every room she enters.” Mandy has a lifetime of wonderful memories with her beloved K. K., from visits and trips to holidays and more delicious meals than she could ever count! “Now that I have kids, I love to take them to visit their Great K. K. on the weekends. The first thing they do is belly up to the counter for banana pudding. This is one of my favorite salads, and as the directions say, it will keep several days in the refrigerator—it gets better with age, just like K. K.,” Mandy adds.
5 medium cucumbers
1 Vidalia onion, sliced
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup water
⅓ cup sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 Peel and slice the cucumbers to ¼-inch slices and place in a shallow serving dish. Add the onion slices.
2 In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper. Shake well to combine, and pour over the cucumbers and onions.
3 Cover and marinate at least an hour; longer is better. This will keep several days in the refrigerator.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS.