Cucumber Relish
This fresh relish is excellent on hot dogs and hamburgers, grilled fish, and a wonderful spread for sourdough bread. Try it in place of spinach dip, it's wonderful!
2 or 3 medium cucumbers
½ white or yellow onion, or 1 bunch green onions
¼ cup wine or apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dry dill weed
Peel cucumbers, then slice lengthwise and remove seeds. Finely chop the cucumbers and onion by hand or using the coarse setting on a food processor. Drain off juice, squeezing lightly. Add vinegar, sugar, salt and dill weed. Chill overnight. Adjust spices to taste, and enjoy!
Cucumber Kimche
This kimche is crisp, fresh, and tangy with a little zip of garlic, red pepper, and vinegar. Try it plain as a salad, over rice, or added to you favorite green salad. Yum!
2 or 3 fresh medium cucumbers, partially peeled in stripes
1 Tbs coarse sea salt or Kosher salt (more or less to taste)
1 Tbs crushed garlic (more or less to taste)
1 Tbs dried red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
¼ cup rice vinegar (substitute white or apple cider vinegar if you can’t find rice)
2 Tbs roasted sesame seeds, crushed
Cut cucumber in 1½ inch-long rounds. Cut rounds in half lengthwise, then slice lengthwise at 90 degrees into flat rectangles.
Place cucumber slices in a bowl and sprinkle with the coarse salt. Mix gently with your hands.
Let stand a few minutes for the salt to draw out the juice.
Add crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, and vinegar. Gently fold all together with your hands until well mixed.
Let stand 10 minutes, then taste. Adjust salt, vinegar, garlic and red pepper to your taste. Add crushed roasted sesame seeds and enjoy!
For an added treat, add sliced or match-stick-cut carrots, small apple chunks, or green onion slices.
You can do like I do and make up a larger batch, keeping the unused kimche refrigerated so it’s ready whenever you want a cool, invigorating, extremely healthy snack!
Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream
This salad is especially tasty on a hot summer day.
2 medium fresh young cucumbers
½ white or yellow onion, or 1 bunch green onions
½ cup light sour cream
1 Tbs white, wine or apple cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
Partially peel cucumbers in stripes, then slice into thin rounds. Finely chop onion and add to cucumber. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, vinegar, sugar and salt. Pour mixture over onion and cucumber and serve. Yum!
