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Post by nana on Jul 8, 2016 8:36:15 GMT -5
Just had my first fresh garden cucumbers of the season (not my own, unfortunately, we got a late start, but they are someone's homegrown) and thought I'd share this recipe. My dad thinks this is the only way that cucumbers should be eaten, besides pickles. I don't know how authentic Russian it is, but HE'S an authentic Russian and after 95 years I guess he ought to know!!
All amounts are to taste--no measurements required!
Peel and slice cucumbers as thin as you can--a mandoline works great for this. Also thinly slice some mild sweet onion or shallots, I find about one part onion to three parts cucumbers works for me, but if you like more or less onion it is up to you. This also is good with no onion at all, so just do what you like.
Sprinkle the cucumber and onion with salt, mix well and let them sit for a while, at least 20 min or so, mixing occasionally, so they give up some of their water. Then drain them, pressing them a little to squeeze out most of the liquid. A lot of the salt will drain out with the liquid, so don't be afraid to use a little more than you think you should. Once drained they should be pleasantly seasoned, but if you find they're too salty for you, you can rinse with plain water and drain again. After you've made it once or twice you'll know what works for you.
Now mix in plenty of real sour cream, and plenty of chopped fresh dill. I find that real, full fat sour cream works best. I've tried the light stuff, and greek yogurt, but they're not the same, and anyway, saturated fat is not bad for you in moderation! You want it saucy, but not soupy. Any leftovers will get a little more liquidy by the next day, though. But we rarely have leftovers....My dad is of the opinion that you simply cannot have too much dill, and you need the fresh stuff. Dried is a pale imitation. A sprinkle or two of fresh ground pepper and you're done! A cool, creamy taste of summer!
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Post by Chuckie on Jul 8, 2016 13:45:48 GMT -5
Just had my first fresh garden cucumbers of the season (not my own, unfortunately, we got a late start, but they are someone's homegrown) and thought I'd share this recipe. My dad thinks this is the only way that cucumbers should be eaten, besides pickles. I don't know how authentic Russian it is, but HE'S an authentic Russian and after 95 years I guess he ought to know!! All amounts are to taste--no measurements required! Peel and slice cucumbers as thin as you can--a mandoline works great for this. Also thinly slice some mild sweet onion or shallots, I find about one part onion to three parts cucumbers works for me, but if you like more or less onion it is up to you. This also is good with no onion at all, so just do what you like. Sprinkle the cucumber and onion with salt, mix well and let them sit for a while, at least 20 min or so, mixing occasionally, so they give up some of their water. Then drain them, pressing them a little to squeeze out most of the liquid. A lot of the salt will drain out with the liquid, so don't be afraid to use a little more than you think you should. Once drained they should be pleasantly seasoned, but if you find they're too salty for you, you can rinse with plain water and drain again. After you've made it once or twice you'll know what works for you. Now mix in plenty of real sour cream, and plenty of chopped fresh dill. I find that real, full fat sour cream works best. I've tried the light stuff, and greek yogurt, but they're not the same, and anyway, saturated fat is not bad for you in moderation! You want it saucy, but not soupy. Any leftovers will get a little more liquidy by the next day, though. But we rarely have leftovers....My dad is of the opinion that you simply cannot have too much dill, and you need the fresh stuff. Dried is a pale imitation. A sprinkle or two of fresh ground pepper and you're done! A cool, creamy taste of summer! I like your kind too, but we LOVE the one w/vinegar!!! I do what you do--slice the cukes on a mandolin, along w/a coupla 'candy onions' that we buy @ our market. My Mom always salted hers as described, BUT she also tossed in about a half gallon of ICE CUBES while they sat in the colander, and kinda tossed them together to make they were evenly coated w/salt. And when hers were 'ready' (she went 2 or 3 hours on soak), she would pick out all the ice, then rinse thoroughly to get ALL the salt out--as her recipe had salt IN it!
Here is hers:
Cucumbers & onions (done as described by nana)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (I use the name brand, as it DOES taste better--and for .79 cents more, who cares?!) 1 cup water 1 tsp salt (or to taste) Weak TBS of sugar (more/less to taste as nana says) 1-TBS dill weed---or more to taste (I use the dry stuff, cause that's what we had).
I shake the last ingredients together in a cottage cheese container until solids are dissolved. Place rinsed cucumbers/onions in Tupperware, cover w/solution. If not enough liquid, add A.C. vinegar until covered. Best after overnight, but quite tasty after an hour or two in refrigerator.
We make these ALL SUMMER LONG, and just keep using the same liquid, adding to it occasionally as needed (about every third batch requires a full dose of the liquid).
Thanks for sharing, nana, 'tis the season for this!!!
CHEERS! Chuckie
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Post by Chuckie on Jun 16, 2018 15:17:28 GMT -5
Just bumping this up, got the Eagles monthly b-day potluck, and are taking our version of the recipe. We picked our FIRST cuke today--so excited!! We've another ready prolly tomorrow, so Monkey & I decided to just buy some @ market to "make & take", and save OURS for OURSELVES! (nothing greedy about us mind you!). While the cucumbers & onions were sitting in the salt/ice, we BOTH commented how "now the house SMELLS of SUMMER!! We make this all summer long, just keep adding to original juice, and make new after about 3 or so batches... As an aside, our plants are L-O-A-D-E-D w/blossoms this year, so prolly have them coming out our EARS in a week or two! Can anyone say bread & butter pickles?!
CHEERS! Chuckie
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Post by mach12 on Jun 17, 2018 12:29:09 GMT -5
Man Chuckie, I love Bread & Butter pickles! I was looking on the shelves just a few days ago and it looks like we're down to our last jar so that'll be on the list this year again.
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Post by nana on Jun 17, 2018 18:57:42 GMT -5
Waaahhhh...My cucumbers are only 3 inches tall so far. We have still been having nights in the 40's up until a few days ago. Tomorrow is supposed to be 92. I'll water them good and maybe they will have a growth spurt!
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Post by Chuckie on Jun 29, 2019 11:59:13 GMT -5
Just had my first fresh garden cucumbers of the season (not my own, unfortunately, we got a late start, but they are someone's homegrown) and thought I'd share this recipe. My dad thinks this is the only way that cucumbers should be eaten, besides pickles. I don't know how authentic Russian it is, but HE'S an authentic Russian and after 95 years I guess he ought to know!! All amounts are to taste--no measurements required! Peel and slice cucumbers as thin as you can--a mandoline works great for this. Also thinly slice some mild sweet onion or shallots, I find about one part onion to three parts cucumbers works for me, but if you like more or less onion it is up to you. This also is good with no onion at all, so just do what you like. Sprinkle the cucumber and onion with salt, mix well and let them sit for a while, at least 20 min or so, mixing occasionally, so they give up some of their water. Then drain them, pressing them a little to squeeze out most of the liquid. A lot of the salt will drain out with the liquid, so don't be afraid to use a little more than you think you should. Once drained they should be pleasantly seasoned, but if you find they're too salty for you, you can rinse with plain water and drain again. After you've made it once or twice you'll know what works for you. Now mix in plenty of real sour cream, and plenty of chopped fresh dill. I find that real, full fat sour cream works best. I've tried the light stuff, and greek yogurt, but they're not the same, and anyway, saturated fat is not bad for you in moderation! You want it saucy, but not soupy. Any leftovers will get a little more liquidy by the next day, though. But we rarely have leftovers....My dad is of the opinion that you simply cannot have too much dill, and you need the fresh stuff. Dried is a pale imitation. A sprinkle or two of fresh ground pepper and you're done! A cool, creamy taste of summer! I like your kind too, but we LOVE the one w/vinegar!!! I do what you do--slice the cukes on a mandolin, along w/a coupla 'candy onions' that we buy @ our market. My Mom always salted hers as described, BUT she also tossed in about a half gallon of ICE CUBES while they sat in the colander, and kinda tossed them together to make they were evenly coated w/salt. And when hers were 'ready' (she went 2 or 3 hours on soak), she would pick out all the ice, then rinse thoroughly to get ALL the salt out--as her recipe had salt IN it!
Here is hers:
Cucumbers & onions (done as described by nana)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (I use the name brand, as it DOES taste better--and for .79 cents more, who cares?!) 1 cup water 1 tsp salt (or to taste) Weak TBS of sugar (more/less to taste as nana says) 1-TBS dill weed---or more to taste (I use the dry stuff, cause that's what we had).
I shake the last ingredients together in a cottage cheese container until solids are dissolved. Place rinsed cucumbers/onions in Tupperware, cover w/solution. If not enough liquid, add A.C. vinegar until covered. Best after overnight, but quite tasty after an hour or two in refrigerator.
We make these ALL SUMMER LONG, and just keep using the same liquid, adding to it occasionally as needed (about every third batch requires a full dose of the liquid).
Thanks for sharing, nana, 'tis the season for this!!!
CHEERS! Chuckie
FIRST cukes of the SEASON @ market today!! Ours are going VERY slow, lots of rain and little sun till this week!!! Now it's sunny & in the 90's all week!! At any rate, ti's the season, and just wanted to bump it up! CHEERS! Chuckie
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Post by vaporvac on Jun 30, 2019 13:13:35 GMT -5
Thanks for bringing this back up.
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Post by nana on Sept 2, 2019 8:50:18 GMT -5
This was a pretty good year for cucumbers, and after stocking up on relish for the next year, we still had a glut, so in addition to making a lot of the sour cream salad, I have three types of other cuke concoctions going at one time in my fridge: Chuckie's vinegar version for the slicers, and thanks for the tip that you can keep it in the fridge and just keep adding to it, because I started a big fermenting jar of half sours, then put that in the fridge as well, and I just keep adding the little ones to that too. You can tell by the color which ones are more or less pickled and choose what you want.
Then we also do what I call cucumber kim chee with the big ones that got away and are too seedy: peel them, cut them in half and scoop out the seeds, then slice about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Add the sliced oninons if you want. Salt them, but not too much, because you won't be rinsing the salt away. Let them give up their water and don't drain it, then mix a spoonful or two of thai chili-garlic sauce in to taste(or if you can find the real korean red stuff, use that) and put it in a glass jar or bowl and refrigerate. It's good right away, but better after a few days. We use it to top rice bowls with stirfried veggies, or sometimes I'll use fried leftover spaghetti with a little added soy sauce instead. Last thing on top is a few shakes of sesame oil. It has a nice non-denominational asian flavor that goes well with anything else in that category.
Cucumbers, 4 ways! Gotta use them up somehow!
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Post by Chuckie on Sept 2, 2019 14:47:28 GMT -5
This was a pretty good year for cucumbers, and after stocking up on relish for the next year, we still had a glut, so in addition to making a lot of the sour cream salad, I have three types of other cuke concoctions going at one time in my fridge: Chuckie's vinegar version for the slicers, and thanks for the tip that you can keep it in the fridge and just keep adding to it, .... We do indeed continue to add to it, BUT we start a new brine after about three additions, as I feel the potency--or @ least the TASTE--of the brine kinda "diminishes" after a bit of use. IF you have an import store in your area, try this vinegar--OMG, is it to DIE for!!! Monkey and I each have a TBS of it whenever we remake the salad, we love it that much!! A buddy of mine is ex-army, and he got turned on to it whilst stationed in Germany. Yummy Bazaar has it, and it is cheaper there--even w/S&H--than it is in our local store in KC!!! They make SEVERAL varieties of it, including a 7-herb one I'm DYING to try!! Once you taste it, you'll NEVER go back to our Yankee vinegar!!! I even use it in my Mam's potato salad recipe now, and all my siblings wanted to know "what did you DO to Mom's salad to make it taste THIS GOOD?!!" They're a bitchy bunch, so that is a true testament!!! CHEERS! Chuckie
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Post by nana on Sept 2, 2019 18:58:48 GMT -5
German vinegar! If I have it right , it is already seasoned and therefore 3 times more something. Useful? Tasty? But it also says gurken meister, which means cucumber master, so it is definitely the right stuff. I will have to keep my eye out at the local Big Lots store.
Sometimes I miss out on things being so far in the boondocks.
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Post by Chuckie on Sept 2, 2019 21:37:59 GMT -5
German vinegar! If I have it right , it is already seasoned and therefore 3 times more something. Useful? Tasty? But it also says gurken meister, which means cucumber master, so it is definitely the right stuff. I will have to keep my eye out at the local Big Lots store. Sometimes I miss out on things being so far in the boondocks. My "German" is NON-existent!!! And said bud was the ONLY reason why I bought it, but we've been SO pleased!!! As an aside, the bottles are NOT very big, so I bought four---one to replace his, and three for us. Just went & looked, 750 ml is all it was size-wise. Here's the link to the website: yummybazaar.com/ And here is the link to the vinegars: yummybazaar.com/search?type=article%2Cpage%2Cproduct&q=german+vinegar My bad, that THIRTEEN herb vinegar is the one I wanna try, NOT a mere "7" herb as I misspoke earlier!! LOL Most are $4.95 a bottle, and I THINK shipping was less than $4.00 for ALL!! As an aside, my "former" brother-in-law ( HIS choice), his Mother was German born & bred. She has some E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T recipes, to include bratwurst that has been in her family for GENERATIONS!!! Her German Potato Salad recipe is to DIE for, but she would NOT even share with my SISTER for YEARS, as "I have given the recipe for YEARS to Americans, and they do NOT "believe me" when I tell them they MUST use German vinegar for it to TASTE "right", so I QUIT giving it OUT!!!" (think of a l-l-l-l-o-o-o-o-n-n-n-g drawn-out German accent when you read that quote above, as that's the manner she speaks, God-love-her!!) She is a GREAT woman, but--trust me-- NOW I know WHAT she was talking about!!! I don't KNOW her spud salad recipe, so dunno if this is a "suitable" vinegar to use in HER salad or not. Again, my siblings LOVED it in my Mam's old simple/cold potato salad recipe.
DO give the vinegar a try, NOT to be missed if you can get your hands on some!! CHEERS! Chuckie
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Post by Chuckie on Jun 13, 2020 18:54:20 GMT -5
I like your kind too, but we LOVE the one w/vinegar!!! I do what you do--slice the cukes on a mandolin, along w/a coupla 'candy onions' that we buy @ our market. My Mom always salted hers as described, BUT she also tossed in about a half gallon of ICE CUBES while they sat in the colander, and kinda tossed them together to make they were evenly coated w/salt. And when hers were 'ready' (she went 2 or 3 hours on soak), she would pick out all the ice, then rinse thoroughly to get ALL the salt out--as her recipe had salt IN it!
Here is hers:
Cucumbers & onions (done as described by nana)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (I use the name brand, as it DOES taste better--and for .79 cents more, who cares?!) 1 cup water 1 tsp salt (or to taste) Weak TBS of sugar (more/less to taste as nana says) 1-TBS dill weed---or more to taste (I use the dry stuff, cause that's what we had).
I shake the last ingredients together in a cottage cheese container until solids are dissolved. Place rinsed cucumbers/onions in Tupperware, cover w/solution. If not enough liquid, add A.C. vinegar until covered. Best after overnight, but quite tasty after an hour or two in refrigerator.
We make these ALL SUMMER LONG, and just keep using the same liquid, adding to it occasionally as needed (about every third batch requires a full dose of the liquid).
Thanks for sharing, nana, 'tis the season for this!!!
CHEERS! Chuckie
FIRST cukes of the SEASON @ market today!! Ours are going VERY slow, lots of rain and little sun till this week!!! Now it's sunny & in the 90's all week!! At any rate, ti's the season, and just wanted to bump it up! CHEERS! Chuckie Bought our FIRST cukes of the season @ the local Farmer's Market today--didn't plant any ourselves this year, so they should make LOTS of $$ off of us @ the Market! And they were DELISH!!! I made ours as described above, although I HAVE had Nana's variety MANY times as well!! CHEERS! Chuckie
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