ArtFairly Aware on Shophandmade.com

Monday, August 1, 2011

Cucumbers, Cucumbers, Cucumbers!

Well, my cucumbers have come in with a vengeance this Summer!  I know I've picked over 20 so far.  As much as I love it, a person can only eat so much cucumber salad!  It is by far my easiest recipe though--Sliced cucumber, sliced tomato or halved grape tomato, thinly sliced onion all mixed together in a light vinaigrette and then a bit of feta cheese sprinkled in.  I just keep adding to it--it's been kind of never-ending!

Then I remembered a recipe that was mentioned in the book Julie and Julia for baked cucumbers.  So I decided to find it and try it.  The recipe was actually in Julia Child's, Joy of Cooking.  It was a bit of a process, you put the cucumbers into a brining solution of vinegar, salt and sugar.  Drain that and then toss them with melted butter and dill and sugar (I actually used a bit less salt than what was in the recipe and I did rinse the cucumbers after draining because I was afraid they'd be too salty).  The cucumber/butter mixture then gets baked.  A bit of parsley is sprinkled on before serving.
The end result?  They tasted like warm pickles.  Not bad, but not what I had hoped for.  I may try this again with less vinegar and salt or without brining completely.  They also suggested basil.  I do think the dill definitely contributed to the pickle taste.  It did use up 4 large cucumbers and everyone ate it, so I guess it served its purpose.

Anyone out there with another different kind of cucumber recipe?  I know I'll have at least 20 more!
Here's the link to the recipe I found:  Julia Child's baked cucumbers

4 comments:

  1. Yum for you salad... not sure if I would like warm pickles would have to try it out one time to see.

    I love them sliced thinnly with thinnly sliced radishes and onions. Sprinkled with red chile pepper and fresh lemon juiced squeezed over all. Let sit for about 15-20 minutes.

    Do you make pickles? I make dill, garlic dill, bread and butter and jalepeno bread and butter pickles.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your salad sounds yummy too! I did make pickles once--I don't know if I have enough to go through the process.

    I did read an article once that if you have a jar of almost empty pickles in the fridge you can add sliced cucumbers to it and they will pickle in the fridge. I tried it and it worked. I've already added to both jars I have!

    I wish I could freeze them and eat them all year!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello! You can freeze them. Slice and prepare a light vinegar/sugar solution. I like to lay them flat in a bag to freeze. That way I can remove only what will be eaten. I don't know how long they will last in the freezer. They make a great summertime treat added to your salad mix.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really? They don't get mushy? I'm definitely going to try this. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete