Cucumber Recipes
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About Cucumbers
Cucumbers are a great summer treat fresh out of the garden. It is unnecessary to peel fresh cucumbers. Choose smaller, thinner cucumbers for more tender skin. Everybody at the farm loves to eat cucumbers whole like you would an apple. Keep cucumbers in the fridge for about 1 week in a plastic bag. Slice them into a salad or make some pickles. You can make a lovely cucumber and cheese sandwich if you slice them thinly the long way.
Cucumber and Cottage Cheese Salad with Fennel (or dill, etc):
Slice into rounds 4 cucumbers, add 1 small minced fennel (bulb and leafy fronds) and mix with 2 cups cottage cheese and salt and pepper to taste. This is always a favorite dish at our farm lunches and we will use different herbs according to what is currently available.
Marinated cucumber salad
Peel and very thinly slice 3 large cukes. Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle with1 tbsp. coarse salt, mixing with your hands to combine thoroughly. Now put a plate on top with a weight like a large can of vegetables to help press out the brine and set aside to marinate for a few hours or overnight in fridge. Drain in a colander and then pat dry with a clean dish towel. Return to bowl. Mix 2/3rds cup cider vinegar, ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar with a little salt and pepper and heat in small pan over medium heat, stirring often until sugar is dissolved. Pour hot mixture over cukes. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. chopped dill and mix to combine. Chill at least 3 hours and serve.
Tzatziki (adapted from the Frugal Gourmet cooks Three Ancient Cuisines)
4 C plain Greek yogurt
1 medium cucumber, grated
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs fresh dill, chopped
Mix salt and cucumber and allow to drain 30 minutes. Press out any additional water. Combine yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil and dill. Chill and serve with crusty bread.
Martina’s Quinoa Salad
1-cup quinoa
2 cups stock or water, heated
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 tomato
1 cucumber
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste.
Rinse the quinoa in cold water and drain. Combine with hot stock or water and bring to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until transparent, 12-15 minutes. Cool in refrigerator. Add chopped pepper, tomato, onion, cuke, garlic and salt and pepper. Toss and serve.
Everyday tomato-cucumber salad:
Dice three or four cups of tomatoes and the same amount of cucumbers. Chop ¼ cup onion. Combine in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice and toss. Add your choice of herbs and toss again.
Garlic Dill Refrigerator Pickles
Makes 3 pints
2 pounds cucumbers
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons pickling salt
6 garlic cloves, peeled (2 per jar)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper per jar (3/4 teaspoons total)
1 teaspoon dill seed per jar (3 teaspoons total)
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns per jar (1 1/2 teaspoons total)
Wash and slice the cucumbers.
In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a simmer.
Arrange jars on counter and dole out the spices to each. Pack the cucumber slices firmly into the jars. You don't want to damage the cukes, but you do want them packed tight.
Pour the brine into the jar, leaving approximately ½ inch headspace.
Tap jars gently on countertop to dislodge any trapped air bubbles.
Apply lids and let jars cool. When they've returned to room temperature, place jars in refrigerator. Let them sit for at least 48 hours before eating.
Cucumbers are a great summer treat fresh out of the garden. It is unnecessary to peel fresh cucumbers. Choose smaller, thinner cucumbers for more tender skin. Everybody at the farm loves to eat cucumbers whole like you would an apple. Keep cucumbers in the fridge for about 1 week in a plastic bag. Slice them into a salad or make some pickles. You can make a lovely cucumber and cheese sandwich if you slice them thinly the long way.
Cucumber and Cottage Cheese Salad with Fennel (or dill, etc):
Slice into rounds 4 cucumbers, add 1 small minced fennel (bulb and leafy fronds) and mix with 2 cups cottage cheese and salt and pepper to taste. This is always a favorite dish at our farm lunches and we will use different herbs according to what is currently available.
Marinated cucumber salad
Peel and very thinly slice 3 large cukes. Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle with1 tbsp. coarse salt, mixing with your hands to combine thoroughly. Now put a plate on top with a weight like a large can of vegetables to help press out the brine and set aside to marinate for a few hours or overnight in fridge. Drain in a colander and then pat dry with a clean dish towel. Return to bowl. Mix 2/3rds cup cider vinegar, ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar with a little salt and pepper and heat in small pan over medium heat, stirring often until sugar is dissolved. Pour hot mixture over cukes. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. chopped dill and mix to combine. Chill at least 3 hours and serve.
Tzatziki (adapted from the Frugal Gourmet cooks Three Ancient Cuisines)
4 C plain Greek yogurt
1 medium cucumber, grated
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs fresh dill, chopped
Mix salt and cucumber and allow to drain 30 minutes. Press out any additional water. Combine yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil and dill. Chill and serve with crusty bread.
Martina’s Quinoa Salad
1-cup quinoa
2 cups stock or water, heated
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 tomato
1 cucumber
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste.
Rinse the quinoa in cold water and drain. Combine with hot stock or water and bring to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until transparent, 12-15 minutes. Cool in refrigerator. Add chopped pepper, tomato, onion, cuke, garlic and salt and pepper. Toss and serve.
Everyday tomato-cucumber salad:
Dice three or four cups of tomatoes and the same amount of cucumbers. Chop ¼ cup onion. Combine in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice and toss. Add your choice of herbs and toss again.
Garlic Dill Refrigerator Pickles
Makes 3 pints
2 pounds cucumbers
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons pickling salt
6 garlic cloves, peeled (2 per jar)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper per jar (3/4 teaspoons total)
1 teaspoon dill seed per jar (3 teaspoons total)
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns per jar (1 1/2 teaspoons total)
Wash and slice the cucumbers.
In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a simmer.
Arrange jars on counter and dole out the spices to each. Pack the cucumber slices firmly into the jars. You don't want to damage the cukes, but you do want them packed tight.
Pour the brine into the jar, leaving approximately ½ inch headspace.
Tap jars gently on countertop to dislodge any trapped air bubbles.
Apply lids and let jars cool. When they've returned to room temperature, place jars in refrigerator. Let them sit for at least 48 hours before eating.