"C" is for Cucumbers!

I thought since I have no time to blog and have been in the kitchen all week , that maybe the only way to do some blogging was to literally do so ~ as I cook.

So, Lucky You!

Welcome to Sarah’s Kitchen!

(It’s nice. Isn’t it? New counter, cabinets that open…sigh….bright, cheery windows) 

Oh, Sorry, back to cooking.

This week the garden began to be fruitful and we are overcome with

turnips, radishes and cucumbers.

And when I say overcome….I’m not exaggerating.

Although proud of my husband and his green thumb, I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what would possess a person to plant so many turnips and radishes.

We have never even eaten a turnip in this house until last night!

Anyway, as thrilled as I am to have a refrigerator full of very smelly vegetables, I am even more thrilled at the crop of cukes on my counter

Here are a few ways that we love to eat cucumbers at our house.

(Notice that I don’t have any recipes to share for those turnips yet…that may take awhile)

Cucumber Sandwiches

Spread a thin layer of Mayo on some bread and slap on some cucumber slices! That’s It!

We like to slice the cucmbers thin, with a veggie peeler, and cut off the crusts. You don’t have to be as fancy as us though for these to be delicious…I was too lazy yesterday to wash the peeler (don’t judge)  and ended up slicing them with a knife, peel and all; and it still hit the spot! YUM!

We also love Vinegar Cucumbers

This one is my Grandma’s recipe. We have this at all of our family summer cookouts.

The very best way to eat these, is to pull one slice out at a time and eat with your fingers, I’m not joking. (Ya. You can judge me now, if you want)

Ingredients:

1 ¾  cups Vinegar

3 cups Water

1-2 Tbs. Salt

1 Tbs. Sugar

One medium onion, thinly sliced

One clove garlic, crushed
3 Large or 4 Medium Cucumbers-Peeled and Sliced

Lightly coat all of your cucmbers with salt and let sit for 10 minutes or so.
Then combine all of your ingredients and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Stir and Enjoy! 

The longer they sit, the better they get.

And lastly, I asked my dear husband to plant some cucumbers for pickling this year.

So, my final recipe for the day…

Dill Pickles

(This recipe belongs to Alada Schnake , one of my husband’s clients)

Ingredients:

Enough cucumbers to fill a 1 gallon jar

1 qt. vinegar

3 qts. Water

¾ cup canning salt

5 cloves garlic

5 heads of fresh dill (2-3 TBS)

1 Slice White Bread

Boil and cool first three ingredients.

Cut 1/16 inch off the blossom end of pickles. In jar put garlic and dill, standing pickles long ways.

Then pour cooled liquid mixture over pickles. Place one slice of white bread on top, put lid on.

Set in sun for 3 days and nights. Remove bread and refrigerate.

You can add a pinch of alum to make pickles crispier before setting in the sun.

We have ton of blackberries,

mulberries and blueberries too. 

Guess I know what my next post will be about! 

Sarah