Cuke Salad

Well, the Daytona 550 is over and the Oscars are over.  The excitement reached its crescendo and then slid into silence.  Whew!  Now everyone can relax and wait for Spring to arrive - and not too soon for most!

I love cucumbers and always have.  The past few years, however, they have not loved me.  That does not stop me, however, from enjoying them every once in awhile.  The recipe in today's post is something I just read but have been making a version of it for years.  I tried this one and it is delicious.  The whole recipe is 50 calories, so say the authors!  I will take that any day!

source: joandsue.blogspot.com

 

 



Cucumber Salad

 

Ingredients

1 large cucumber

2 tsp coarse sea salt

1 Tbsp light sour cream

1 tsp finely chopped onion

1 tsp fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp sugar

 

 

Directions 
Peel your cucumber - or you can leave the peel on if you want - slice cucumber into fairly thin slices. Place into a colander and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Set on something to catch the water that drains off, and set aside.

Mix together sour cream, onion, dill, vinegar, and sugar. Cover and place in fridge.

Let cucumbers drain and dressing chill for at least an hour, up to 2 hours.

Before serving, rinse cucumbers under running water briefly. Pat dry with paper towel.

Toss dressing with cucumbers and serve.


The recipe by Jo and Sue can be found by clicking here.  Their post received over 40 comments with viewers giving their versions and suggestions.  A couple of viewers said the recipe was known to them as a Polish dish named Miseria.  They are all an interesting take.

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Please enjoy the start of your week.

Meanwhile .... keep it simple and make it real.

Jeanne





Cooking with "The Help"

The novel, “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett had a great impact on me. It opened up feelings and thoughts that had never surfaced before. I am thankful that it was written and that I read it.

I never saw the movie version but understand that it received great acclaim and was vastly popular. Parts of both the book and the novel revolved around food. Food is one of my favorite subjects no matter what (in case you haven’t figured that out yet). In that light, I am giving you one of the recipes from “The Help”. It is for Cucumber Rye Tea Sandwiches, a delight of the genteel southern woman of the times.

The recipe is easy, simple, and good and doesn’t cost much. My criteria for a recipe has been met - what about yours?

One ingredient is a Persian cucumber. I have never heard of this and where I live there is no way it would be available. I used more of the seedless cucumber to top it off.

　
　

　

Courtesy of The Help. © DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC. All Rights Reserved

　

　

　

Servings: 18

Cucumber Rye Tea Sandwiches from The Help

Ingredients
                 1 large seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
                 3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
36 slices party rye or 18-36 slices of rye bread
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
You will also need

2-inch cookie cutter (if you can't find party rye)

Total Time:30 Minutes 










Using a box grater, coarsely grate the cucumber lengthwise, stopping when you get to the seedy center. Transfer the cucumber to a bowl and stir in the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Let stand for 15 minutes.

If using rye bread slices, use a 2-inch-round cookie cutter to cut out 36 rounds from the bread. Cover with a slightly damp towel.

Transfer the grated cucumber to a colander to drain; squeeze out the excess liquid. Return it to the bowl. Stir in the cream cheese and scallion.

Spread the cucumber cream cheese on the bread rounds.Top each with a Persian cucumber slice and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.
Make Ahead: The cucumber cream cheese can be refrigerated overnight. Return to room temperature before spreading.

This and other recipes can be found at The History Kitchen
　  
Not to diminish this fine recipe in any way but I have a much easier way of making these.

Forget the grating of the cucumber. Forget the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and salt and scallion. Combine the cream cheese with one package of Four Seasons Italian Dressing Seasoning, spread on the rye bread and top with a slice of cucumber and a pinch of dill. These are wonderful. I am always asked for this recipe. Also, if you can’t find party rye don’t bother with the cookie cutter stuff - just cut the bread in quarters. Same effect with less work.

Bon appetit!

Keep it simple, folks.