Cucumbers

 Cucumber Salad with Tahini Dressing Recipeby Elise Bauer  Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
 Any variety of cucumber can be used in this salad. You'll want to peel the varieties with thicker peels. Thin-peel varieties can usually be left peel-on.
Ingredients
   1 1/2 pounds cucumbers, preferably thin-skinned such as persian cucumbers  (cut back on the dressing ingredients if you have fewer cucumbers)
    1 Tbsp salt
    3 Tbsp sesame tahini
    1 Tbsp lemon juice
    2 Tbsp warm water (or more depending on how thick your tahini is)
    1/2 clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
    Zest of a lemon
    1/3 cup chopped red onion
    2 Tbsp chopped mint
    2 Tbsp chopped basil
    2 Tbsp chopped parsley
    Salt and black pepper to taste
1 If the cucumber peels are thick or bitter, peel them. If not, leave them on. Slice the cucumbers lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Slice the cucumbers again lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch cuts.
2 Toss the seeded, diced cucumbers in a colander with the tablespoon of salt. Let drain in the sink while you chop everything else and make the dressing.  (I leave the seeds in and just let the cucimbers sit with no salt . I use any water that comes out to thin the tahini if needed. )
3 In a large bowl, mix the tahini, lemon juice and warm water until combined. Stir in the garlic, lemon zest and red onion.
4 Briefly rinse the cucumbers under cool water and pat them dry with paper towels in the colander. (Not necessary  if you skipped the salting step.) Add the cucumbers to the bowl with the dressing and gently toss to combine well. Add in the herbs (any of the herbs could also be used alone or in some other combination). Add salt and black pepper to taste. Serve cool.
Yield: Serves 4-6 as a side dish.





Cucumber Salad
By The Gluten Free Goddess
   1 large   cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
    2-3 smaller   cucumbers, peeled leaving stripes of skin, sliced into coins
    1/3-1/2 medium   red onion, diced fine, to taste
    1 large   ripe heirloom tomato

For the dressing:
1/4 cup champagne or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon good tasting olive oil
2 teaspoons raw organic agave nectar, or more to taste
A tiny pinch of sea salt, or to taste (you can always add more- don't add too much)
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

In a large, non-reactive bowl combine the cut and sliced cucumbers with the diced onion and tomato.
    Whisk your dressing ingredients in a glass measuring cup until frothy and pour all over the cucumber salad. Gently toss to coat. Cover and chill at least an hour before serving.
    The flavors mingle and intensify overnight, so if you love a fresh "pickled" flavor make this recipe the night before you wish to serve it; tossing it a couple of times as it chills to distribute the dressing.



Here are a couple of easy, quick pickle recipes. These are for quarts so just cut the ingredients in half to make a pint. Leave in the refrigerator until they taste right to you. I have used dried dill and they come out just fine.

Dill Pickles
Yield: 1 quart
5 medium cucumbers
1 Tablespoon pickling salt, sea salt, or kosher salt (but not iodized table salt)
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup water
  1 head dill or small bunch dill leaves
1 clove garlic (optional)
3 black peppercorns (optional)
1. For the crunchiest pickles, select firm, dark-green pickling cucumbers that have not started to ripen to white or yellow. Cut them into spears or slices, as desired (left whole, they will take a long time to pickle in the fridge).
2. Prepare a quart jar with a lid by running it through the dishwasher or washing it in very hot soapy water and letting it air-dry. Any jar with a lid will do; the wider the opening, the easier. Place the dill in the bottom of your jar, peel and crush the garlic clove (if using), and drop that in along with the peppercorns (if using), then put in the cut cucumber. Mix the salt, vinegar, and water in a separate container, stirring until the salt is dissolved, then pour it over the cucumbers, filling the jar right to the top. If you're in a hurry to enjoy your dillies, heat the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil before pouring it over the cucumbers (just know that heating unpasteurized vinegar kills off the healthy probiotic bacteria that make pickles good for you). Pop on the lid and put the jar in the fridge. Easy, eh?
Variations: try snap beans, zucchini strips, or a medley of whatever veggies you have on hand.

Sweet Pickles
Yield: 1 quart
3 cups sliced cucumbers
1 cup sliced onions (or half onions and half green pepper)
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced (optional)
1 Tablespoon pickling salt, sea salt, or kosher salt (but not iodized table salt)
1 cup cider vinegar
1¾ cup white sugar or ⅞ cup honey, or stevia to taste
1 Tablespoon whole mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon celery seed
2 cloves, whole
Prepare jar and veggies as for dill pickles. Combine the remaining ingredients in a stainless steel saucepan, bring them to a boil, and simmer until the sugar or honey is dissolved. Put the veggies into the jar and pour the vinegar mixture over them, stirring to make sure all veggies come in contact with it. Cover and refrigerate.

Relish: If you remove the center seeds and pulp from cucumbers and dice them up with onion and a small red bell pepper, and substitute a pinch of ground cloves for the whole cloves in the sweet pickle recipe you'll get a tasty relish. And you can make all sorts of relishes by dicing vegetables (just one type, or a mixture) to use in either of the basic recipes.

Reuse Pickle Juice
Last, but not least: After you chase down the last (homemade or store-bought) pickle in the jar, STOP—don't dump that juice! It's all ready and waiting (and in a jar already, no less) for another batch of pickles. Just slice or chop up fresh veggies and drop them into the jar. The pickle juice should completely cover the veggies. If it doesn't, take out some of the veggies or add a bit of vinegar, and shake. Screw on the lid and put it back in the fridge. Let the juice soak for a few days and then, enjoy! Continue to reload the jar as long as the pickles' flavor continues to please you.
Tags: food preservation Rodale News

Cuke-n-Herb Hummus
Recipe Courtesy of Happy Monkey Hummus
Ingredients:
4C. Organic Garbanzo Beans
3T. Organic Sesame Tahini
1t. Organic Ground Cumin
1t. Sea Salt
2   Limes Juiced
1½  Organic Cucumbers Peeled & Seeded
1T. Organic Tarragon
1T. Organic Mint
Combine ingredients in food processor and puree until desired consistency.
No time to make the hummus from scratch. Buy traditional hummus and add pureed or shredded cucumbers.

 Cucumber Mint Salad                                                                                                                                       3 medium cucumbers, any variety
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tsp chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
Coarse sea salt
Dressing:
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp maple syrup  (agave nectar or honey thinned to consistency of syrup)
1 tsp lime juice
Instructions:
Cut cucumbers into bite-sized pieces. Place in bowl with onion, dill and mint. In a separate bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Drizzle evenly over cucumbers, season to taste with salt, and serve. Serves 4.


 Cucumber Salad
By The Gluten Free Goddess
   1 large   cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
    2-3 smaller   cucumbers, peeled leaving stripes of skin, sliced into coins
    1/3-1/2 medium   red onion, diced fine, to taste
    1 large   ripe heirloom tomato

For the dressing:
1/4 cup champagne or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon good tasting olive oil
2 teaspoons raw organic agave nectar, or more to taste
A tiny pinch of sea salt, or to taste (you can always add more- don't add too much)
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

In a large, non-reactive bowl combine the cut and sliced cucumbers with the diced onion and tomato.
    Whisk your dressing ingredients in a glass measuring cup until frothy and pour all over the cucumber salad. Gently toss to coat. Cover and chill at least an hour before serving.
    The flavors mingle and intensify overnight, so if you love a fresh "pickled" flavor make this recipe the night before you wish to serve it; tossing it a couple of times as it chills to distribute the dressing.



Crisp Cucumber Salsa:
Note: 1/4 cup is only 16 calories! YES!!!

2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4-1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 c reduced-fat sour cream
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips.


Cucumber & Black-Eyed Pea Salad
EatingWell.com    An easy salad to serve with grilled chicken or steak for supper or on a bed of greens for a satisfying lunch. Substitute white beans or chickpeas for the black-eyed peas if you prefer.
    3 tablespoons    extra-virgin olive oil
    2 tablespoons    lemon juice
    2 teaspoons    fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
    4 cups    cucumbers, diced
    1 14-ounce can   black-eyed peas, rinsed or other beans if you prefer
    2/3 cup   red bell pepper, diced
    1/2 cup   feta cheese, crumbled
    1/4 cup   red onion, slivered
    2 tablespoons   black olives, chopped
      freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
  Whisk oil, lemon juice, oregano and pepper in a large bowl until combined.
    Add cucumber, black-eyed peas, bell pepper, feta, onion and olives; toss to coat.
    Serve at room temperature or chilled.