Cucumbers

Cucumbers

Braised Cucumber
after watching Julie & Julia I had to look this up. Looking forward to trying it! -Jess Fischer

1 huge cucumber (or 2 regular sized)
1 tablespoon butter
1 dash salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pinch dried mint

Peel cucumber. Cut into quarters and remove seeds. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Melt butter in a pan and add cucumber. Cover and cook about 5 minutes on medium heat. Stir in salt, lemon, and mint. Cover and cook another 2 minutes. Enjoy eating heaven on a plate.

Brown Rice Tabouli
This recipe comes from our Spring Hill cookbook and was contributed by Kathleen Morton.

3 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
1 cup parsley, finely chopped
½ cup scallions (including greens), chopped
8 oz feta, crumbled

Combine rice, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours, if possible. Just before serving, mix in tomatoes, parsley, cucumbers, scallion and feta.

Chinese Cucumber Salad

3-4 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
Thinly sliced fresh white or red onion
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped

Slice cucumbers and onions and put in shallow bowl. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over cucumbers. Mix thoroughly. Chill until you are ready to serve.

Cucumber Feta Cheese Salad

4 small-medium cucumbers sliced 1⁄4” thick
8 oz. feta cheese, drained if necessary
1⁄2 cup mild onion, sliced
1⁄4 cup lemon juice
1⁄4 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley or mint for garnish (optional)

Put garlic, oil, vinegar, basil, salt, Parmesan, and pepper in a blender; process 2-3
seconds. With the blender still running, slowly add milk, processing until dressing is
thick and smooth. Pour over chard. Covered and refrigerated, this dress will keep one
week. Makes 1-1/2 cups.

Cucumber Limeade
English cucumber, (about 1 pound) That’s the smooth skinned cucumber(s) in your bag!
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup ice cubes

Peel English cucumber; remove any seeds. Coarsely chop and combine in a blender with water, sugar, lime juice, coarse salt, and ice cubes; blend until smooth. Serve over ice, garnished with cucumber spears, if desired. Serves 4.

Spicy Quinoa, Cucumber and Tomato Salad
from New York Times Recipes for Health by Martha Rose Shulman
1 cup quinoa
3 cups water
Salt to taste
2 cups diced cucumber
1 small red onion, finely minced (optional)
2 cups finely diced tomatoes
1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers (to taste), seeded if desired and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 avocado, sliced, for garnish

1. Place the quinoa in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes. Drain through a strainer, and rinse until the water runs clear. Bring the 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt (1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon) and the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and translucent; each grain should have a little thread. Drain off the water in the pan through a strainer, and return the quinoa to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dishtowel, replace the lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes. If making for the freezer, uncover and allow to cool, then place in plastic bags. Flatten the bags and seal.
2. Meanwhile, place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber with cold water, and drain on paper towels. If using the onion, place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels.
3. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt, and add the quinoa and cilantro. Toss together, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with sliced avocado and cilantro sprigs. Serves 6.

Hot Day Cucumber Soup
Diane Clayton- Diane brought this to a recent Harvest Day and is was delicious!

4 cups cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cups plain yogurt (or buttermilk, kefir, or a combo)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 T honey
½ t salt
Several fresh mint leaves
1 T fresh dill leaves, or ½ t. dried dill weed

Puree everything together in a blender or food processor. Chill.

Serve cold. May garnish with fresh chopped scallions or chives.

Refrigerator Pickles
Marian Wright’s recipe

2 large or 3 medium cucumbers, washed.
Score skin by putting the tines of a sharp fork down the full length all around the cucumbers
Slice very thin
Put in a bowl and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and 6 tablespoons sugar
Add 2/3 cup white or cider vinegar
With wooden spoon, press slices until all cucumbers become quite juicy
Refrigerate. These will keep up to a couple of weeks.

Spicy Refrigerator Pickles
Laura Murphy was telling me about these pickles when she was out here recently. She’s not a big dill fan nor am I. These pickles sound terrific! Here’s how Laura makes them.

The quick pickles are super easy. The base recipe is 1 cup each of sugar, vinegar, and water, plus 1 TB of salt.

Then, I add some sliced up garlic (one or two cloves), ginger (a thumb size knob, peeled), and some red pepper flakes or other spices I find in the cupboard (Szechuan peppercorns? Why not?). I am sure a sliced up jalapeno would not go amiss either.
Then give it a good stir, add thinly sliced cucumbers and let them marinate for at least 20 minutes. It usually takes me close to a week to get through the entire batch, so I'd say they are good at least that long.

That amount of pickling solution was plenty for the 4 cucumbers I put in it last week. The bigger constraint was the size of my container.

Tzatziki Cucumbers
1 medium cucumber, chopped 8 ounces yogurt
2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or ¼ teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Combine ingredients, chill, and serve. Makes 2-3 servings.

Please email us your favorite recipes and we’ll pass them along. Thanks.

Having an enclosed seed and developing from a flower, cucumbers are scientifically classified as a fruit.



		Arugula \| Basil \| Beets \| Bok Choy \| Braising Mix \|Broccoli \| Broccoli Raab \| Brussels Sprouts \| Cabbage \| Carrots\| Celeriac \| Chard \| Chinese Broccoli \| Cilatnro \| Collards \| Cucumbers \| Eggplant \| Fennel \| Garlic \| Herbs \| Green Beans \| Jalapenos \| Kale \| Kohlrabi \| Leeks \| Lettuce \| Onions \| Parsley \| Parsnips \| Peppers (Bell) \| Potatoes \| Pumpkins \| Radishes \| Rutabagas \| Scallions \| Spinach \| Sugar Snap Peas \| Sweet Potatoes \| Tomatillos \| Tomatoes \| Turnips \| Winter Squash \| Zucchini \| Storage Tips (downloadable .doc) Cucumbers Braised Cucumber after watching Julie & Julia I had to look this up. Looking forward to trying it! -Jess Fischer 1 huge cucumber (or 2 regular sized) 1 tablespoon butter 1 dash salt 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 pinch dried mint Peel cucumber. Cut into quarters and remove seeds. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Melt butter in a pan and add cucumber. Cover and cook about 5 minutes on medium heat. Stir in salt, lemon, and mint. Cover and cook another 2 minutes. Enjoy eating heaven on a plate. Brown Rice Tabouli This recipe comes from our Spring Hill cookbook and was contributed by Kathleen Morton. 3 cups cooked and cooled brown rice ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 1 tsp garlic, minced ¼ cup olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 2-3 tomatoes, seeded and diced 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced 1 cup parsley, finely chopped ½ cup scallions (including greens), chopped 8 oz feta, crumbled Combine rice, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours, if possible. Just before serving, mix in tomatoes, parsley, cucumbers, scallion and feta. Chinese Cucumber Salad 3-4 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced Thinly sliced fresh white or red onion 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped Slice cucumbers and onions and put in shallow bowl. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over cucumbers. Mix thoroughly. Chill until you are ready to serve. Cucumber Feta Cheese Salad 4 small-medium cucumbers sliced 1⁄4” thick 8 oz. feta cheese, drained if necessary 1⁄2 cup mild onion, sliced 1⁄4 cup lemon juice 1⁄4 cup olive oil Freshly ground black pepper Fresh parsley or mint for garnish (optional) Put garlic, oil, vinegar, basil, salt, Parmesan, and pepper in a blender; process 2-3 seconds. With the blender still running, slowly add milk, processing until dressing is thick and smooth. Pour over chard. Covered and refrigerated, this dress will keep one week. Makes 1-1/2 cups. Cucumber Limeade English cucumber, (about 1 pound) That’s the smooth skinned cucumber(s) in your bag! 1 1/2 cups water 1/4 cup sugar Juice of 1 lime 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 1 cup ice cubes Peel English cucumber; remove any seeds. Coarsely chop and combine in a blender with water, sugar, lime juice, coarse salt, and ice cubes; blend until smooth. Serve over ice, garnished with cucumber spears, if desired. Serves 4. Spicy Quinoa, Cucumber and Tomato Salad from New York Times Recipes for Health by Martha Rose Shulman 1 cup quinoa 3 cups water Salt to taste 2 cups diced cucumber 1 small red onion, finely minced (optional) 2 cups finely diced tomatoes 1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers (to taste), seeded if desired and finely chopped 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 avocado, sliced, for garnish 1. Place the quinoa in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes. Drain through a strainer, and rinse until the water runs clear. Bring the 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt (1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon) and the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and translucent; each grain should have a little thread. Drain off the water in the pan through a strainer, and return the quinoa to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dishtowel, replace the lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes. If making for the freezer, uncover and allow to cool, then place in plastic bags. Flatten the bags and seal. 2. Meanwhile, place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber with cold water, and drain on paper towels. If using the onion, place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels. 3. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt, and add the quinoa and cilantro. Toss together, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with sliced avocado and cilantro sprigs. Serves 6. Hot Day Cucumber Soup Diane Clayton- Diane brought this to a recent Harvest Day and is was delicious! 4 cups cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped 2 cups plain yogurt (or buttermilk, kefir, or a combo) 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 T honey ½ t salt Several fresh mint leaves 1 T fresh dill leaves, or ½ t. dried dill weed Puree everything together in a blender or food processor. Chill. Serve cold. May garnish with fresh chopped scallions or chives. Refrigerator Pickles Marian Wright’s recipe 2 large or 3 medium cucumbers, washed. Score skin by putting the tines of a sharp fork down the full length all around the cucumbers Slice very thin Put in a bowl and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and 6 tablespoons sugar Add 2/3 cup white or cider vinegar With wooden spoon, press slices until all cucumbers become quite juicy Refrigerate. These will keep up to a couple of weeks. Spicy Refrigerator Pickles Laura Murphy was telling me about these pickles when she was out here recently. She’s not a big dill fan nor am I. These pickles sound terrific! Here’s how Laura makes them. The quick pickles are super easy. The base recipe is 1 cup each of sugar, vinegar, and water, plus 1 TB of salt. Then, I add some sliced up garlic (one or two cloves), ginger (a thumb size knob, peeled), and some red pepper flakes or other spices I find in the cupboard (Szechuan peppercorns? Why not?). I am sure a sliced up jalapeno would not go amiss either. Then give it a good stir, add thinly sliced cucumbers and let them marinate for at least 20 minutes. It usually takes me close to a week to get through the entire batch, so I'd say they are good at least that long. That amount of pickling solution was plenty for the 4 cucumbers I put in it last week. The bigger constraint was the size of my container. Tzatziki Cucumbers 1 medium cucumber, chopped 8 ounces yogurt 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or ¼ teaspoon dried 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice Combine ingredients, chill, and serve. Makes 2-3 servings.

Please email us your favorite recipes and we’ll pass them along. Thanks. Having an enclosed seed and developing from a flower, cucumbers are scientifically classified as a fruit.