Cucumber Salads

INGREDIENTS

HINTS

Use a mandolin to get nearly paper thin slices of cucumber
When thin the green skin is very edible, and gives a nice crunch
If you don’t like the skin, use a zester to artfully remove much of the skin
You can get a fancy crinkle cutter or lemon zester at Amazon. I use mine often for many other dishes

Grandma’s Cucumber Salad

Grandma’s Cucumber Salad

Sunomono Salad

Cucumber and Krab Salad

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

This is the recipe that my mother made for me when I was young. She used to make me my own jar from which I could snack any time of the day or night.

1 medium to large cucumber – English cucumber if available
– Peel using a julienne stripper or potato peeler – Leave some of the green
– Halve the cucumber and use the edge of a spoon to deseed
– Cut into spears, then into 1/2 inch chunks. To make it pretty, you can use a crinkle cutter
1 large sweet onion – Halved and slivered and soaked in ice water for 5 minutes
Toss cucumber and onion with 2 tsp salt
Let rest in a plated colander for 30-60 minutes – Liquid will drain from veggies

Combine
– 1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar
– 1 TBL sugar or honey
– 1 tsp salt
– 1/2 C boiling hot water
Pour hot liquid over top of the cukes
Top, if necessary, with water so that liquid completely covers mixture.
GRANDPA’S MEDITERRANEAN TWIST
Add 1/2 tsp Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder, 1/3 C sour cream, 1/4 C chopped mint
Toss together and plate as an appetizer topped with a mint leaf

This is similar to the above recipe, made by my mother, but this one was from The Church Ladies at Phoenix First Church

Japanese, Kirby, Persian cucumbers or English cucumber
Peel leaving some green in between peeled strips (for color)
Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
In a measuring cup combine 2 TBL apple cider vinegar and 2 TBL pickle brine (from a standard jar of pickles)
Add 2 TBL EVOO, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dill seed
Toss cucumber slices in the vinegar mixture
Plate cucumber slices on a plate
Sprinkle with grated pepper and Maldon salt
Sprinkle with capers and pickled red onion

1 medium to large cucumber – Halved and seeds removed, then sliced thin
1 large sweet onion – Halved and sliced very thin
1/2 carrot – Julienne strips
2 radishes – Sliced thin
Combine
– Apple Cider to almost cover mixture
– 3 TBS Dill
– 1 TBS brown sugar
– 1 tsp Worcestershire
Shake to combine and coat
Let marinate at least overnight
Serve cold

Slice cucumber thin on a mandolin
Julienne strips of carrot
Mandolin Daikon Radish very thin
Toss with marinate ( below )
Let rest for one hour
Toss with pieces of green onion (green and white)
Cut on the bias in about 1/4 inch pieces

Combine in a large mixing bowl
– Juice and zest from one lime
– 1 hand of cilantro – chopped
– 2 TBL Rice Vinegar
– 1 TBL honey
– 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1 TBL EVOO
– 2 scallions – Cut on the bias in 1/4 inch pieces
Toss with
– Cucumber cut into 2 inch pieces, and then cut into strips
– 1/2 as much jicama, also cut into strips of the same length and thickness
Optional
– Add 1/8 C smashed peanuts
– Add 1/2 C shredded chicken

Peel cukes, slice in half, and remove seeds.
- Alternately use a Benreiner Spiralizer
Slice thinly as possible
Add in large canning jar
– 1/2 C sugar
– 1 tsp salt
– 1 tsp ground Cardamom
– 1 tsp ground Alspiace
Add 1/2 C rice wine vinegar (HOT)
Optional
– 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds

Here is a cooking class that I took while on board the Holland America.

Marinated Cucumbers: VIDEO