Cucumber recipes

If you have an excess of cukes try this recipe!  Cucumber sandwichs

1 loaf Italian bread sliced

1 1/2 packs of  Hidden Valley dips (dry mix) I used 1 ranch & 1/2 of a dill flavor. 

2 packages of cream cheese softened

5-6 peeled & sliced cucumbers 

fresh dill

mix your dry dip and both cream cheese with a fork, let it sit overnight or at least couple hours. (Don't worry if this tastes a little salty adding cukes to sandwiches balance it out)

to assemble take your bread and slice in half for the smaller pieces of bread and can quarter the larger pieces 

take a good smear of cream cheese mix, spread on bread top with 1-2 slices of cucumber 

Top with fresh chopped dill 

ENJOY!!!
 

I spiced up my fermented pickles recipe by adding several jalapenos in the jar while fermenting.  Best pickles ever!  Give it a try if you like a little kick to your pckles!

As many cucumbers and tomatoes (cherry if able) as you want, cut into 1/2" chunks. Onions  and garlic optional. Add italian dressing, roughly the amount you would use on a salad or a little less. 1 tablespoon of vinegar, fresh dill and salt/pepper to taste.

I'm not a huge vinegar and cucumber fan, so I kind of made up this variation which was much more mild on the vinegar and had great taste with the italian dressing.  

I made a version of the cucumber sandwiches from the orginal post this weekend. Followed this recipe but replaced the italian seasoning with ranch. Kids and adults all loved it. Will definitely be making again. 

Refrigerator pickles.

2 cups white vinegar

2 cups water

2 cups sugar.

TBS salt

3 sprigs of fresh dill, or to your liking.

Bring mixture to a medium heat on the stove, stir.

Thin slice cucs in food processor. Cut onions across the grain and separate. Layer in gallon glass jar or gallon ice cream pail. I like to add a hot pepper or two. I add dill in the middle and toward the top. Pour warm liquid over top. Place in fridge for a couple days.

I've made 7 gallons so far.

Lots of good ideas here, and just in time. Mine is not much different but I have tried to cut back on the salt some so I sprinkle the sliced cukes with celery salt and add sour cream, various vinegars, some ranch and or vinagrette dressing. Fridge pickle recipes have been covered in another thread. My wife's family slices them in a bowl splashing in some vinegar and putting in some ice on top, before putting them out on the buffet. Doesn't get any simpler than that. Sandwich sounds good right now too.

I'm a vodka gimlet fan so had to give this a try. It's different, but not bad on a hot summer day. I did 50/50 of sweetened lime juice and water instead of lemonade and fresh limes (didn't have any limes). I think it would have been better making it as the recipe calls, it's almost more of a mojito type drink vs a true gimlet. 

Cucumber lime gimlet

Had to add this one too while I'm at it:

For an on-the-boat snack to go with the sandwich or just by itself:

Quarter a fresh cuke into spears,  squeeze fresh lime over spears, and add dash of salt. Keep chilled and eat. Very refreshing on the water, and a bit healthier than potato chips, candy, crackers, or other similar snacks, and easy.  

Here's one for a quick-brine cuke salad my wife learned from my Polish mother decades ago;

Prepare the cukes; peel and slice thin, sprinkle and mix with salt, aprox. 1/2 tsp per cuke; let it sit for 2 hours or so.

Prepare the brine (ingredient quantity is per cuke); in a separate bowl, mix 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp celery seed, 1/4 tsp mustard seed.  Stir brine until sugar is dissolved. Drain the salted cukes, dump into the brine mixture, and let sit in fridge for at least one hour, and ready to eat. 

Options: can add onion into the brine when dumping cukes in;  can add pepper to taste.

Here's something I tried today: 4 cucumbers, sliced as thin as possible, 1 T salt, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1/2 Cup Sour Cream, Dill, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Pepper, 1 tsp celery seed, and the secret ingredient: 1 jalapeno, chopped up fine.  slice cucumbers and salt them.  Place in drainer and remove as much water as possible.  Mix in other ingredients and refrigerate overnight.  I never tried it with the jalapeno before but it gave it a nice kick.

Any other good recipes to try this year? Cucumbers are coming in 2,3 a day now. I could use a good recipe with dill and sour cream to try this year.

Another great cucumber recipe. Nice!

Yup my first platter took to work, it didn't see 9:00am!!