Cucumbers in Vinegar

I remember growing up and eating these at my great grandmothers house. She always had fresh garden veggies to eat and it seemed that every summer meal was not complete without the vinegar cucumbers. She used cucumbers and onion, which I left out, but either way it’s tart, tangy, and delicious.

Cucumbers with Vinegar

I’m almost embarrassed to call this a recipe…all you do is peel and slice your cucumbers, then cover with white vinegar, sprinkle in a little salt and pepper then let sit for a couple hours! If desired slice up a sweet onion and mix in.

Cucumber Citrus Salsa

I was in the mood for salsa the other day, but didn't want to go to the store so I decided to create a salsa with the ingredients on hand, it turned out pretty darn good too. I just kept adding ingredients until it tasted right. I ended up making fish tacos and used this as a marinade and also as a salsa, and then I used it on grilled chicken as well, so it’s pretty versatile.

Cucumber Citrus Salsa

1 Small Onion
1 Large Handful Cilantro
4 Limes, Juiced
1 Cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 Bunch Spinach
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Dried Chili Flakes (or one jalapeno chili)

In a food processor or blender add the onion, cilantro, and lime juice and process until finely minced. Add all remaining ingredients and process until smooth, adjust seasonings with sugar, salt & pepper to taste.

Fennel Salad

I love the fresh anise flavor of fennel and thought I would make a simple salad to go with dinner last night. This salad turned out absolutely delicious. The fresh taste of the fennel, cucumber, cilantro and spinach was a little taste of summer. The good thing about this salad is that the ingredients are available year round so you can always have a very fresh tasting green salad, even before summer hits.

Fennel Salad

1 Large Cucumber
1 Fennel Bulb
1 Handful of Cilantro, lightly chopped
½ Bunch Spinach
Salt & Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Peel and seed the cucumber and cut into very thin slices. Next cut the fennel bulb in half, cut out the core and slice as thinly as you can, leaving the frauds. Mix together the cucumber, fennel, cilantro and spinach in a large bowl. Now drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper and mix together. If you don’t care for cilantro, you could substitute a handful of flat leaf Italian parsley.

This is what a fennel bulb looks like if you haven't used this vegetable before. The frauds look similar to dill and the some stores cut these off when putting it out on their shelves. I have also seen fennel labeled as "anise" so don't feel you picked the wrong thing if that's what it's labeled as.

Japanese Pickled Cucumbers

I absolutely love cucumbers and love them even more when they are seasoned with any type of pickling spice. I found this recipe in my last Gourmet magazine and had to immediately go to the Asian market and buy the ingredients. I had never heard of Japanese cucumbers before this recipe, but sure enough they had them at the marked. They are really thin and don’t have any seeds, the skin is tender and has a bit of a spicy kick to it, I will definitely use these in the future, as I hate de-seeding cucumbers when I make salads.

Japanese Pickled Cucumbers

5 Japanese Cucumbers (you can find them at your Asian supermarket)
2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Wasabi Powder
¼ Cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar
½ Teaspoon Soy Sauce

Using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, cut cucumbers into long thin strips and place into a colander. Toss cucumbers with salt and let drain for 15 minutes. Rinse cucumbers under cold water, then squeeze handfuls of the cucumbers to remove excess water; pat dry.
Stir together the wasabi powder, vinegar, and soy sauce until wasabi powder is dissolved. Toss the cucumbers with the sauce and let sit for a few minutes for flavors to mingle. Serve within 2 days.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Cucumber Tomato Salad

3 Cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼ slices
4 Tomatoes, cut in half and then into large pieces
Handful Basil, chopped
1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper

Place cucumbers, tomatoes, and basil in large serving bowl. Wisk together all remaining ingredients until well combined. Pour over cucumbers and tomatoes, mix well and enjoy.