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Spicy Cucumber Salsa
4 medium sized cucumbers (about 2 pounds) 1 red or green bell pepper -finely diced 1-2 jalapeno peppers – seeded and finely diced ½ cup red onion – finely diced 2 cloves garlic – crushed ½ Cup fresh herbs – parsley, dill, fennel fronds, basil or cilantro - finely chopped ¼ Cup cider vinegar 1 Tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons fresh ground coriander seed ½ teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt ❖ Peel cucumbers and cut in half long-ways. If seeds are large and tough remove and discard seeds. Dice cucumbers finely. ❖ Combine cucumbers with remaining ingredients, stir, and allow to sit for at least an hour before serving. ❖ Pack in jars and store in the fridge. Relish will keep for several weeks in the fridge If using a food processor: ❖ Cut cucumbers into chunks and in a food processor pulse the cucumbers to finely dice but NOT puree. If your cucumbers are juicy, pour them into a mesh strainer, capture the juice for a refreshing drink or discard. Put strained cucumbers into a large bowl. ❖ In the food processor pulse, peppers, onion, garlic, and herbs to finely dice but NOT puree. ❖ Combine with remaining ingredients. |
Sun Gold Tomato Pesto – makes almost 1 cup
The first time I tried making tomato pesto I didn’t cook the tomatoes. It looked awful. It was runny and separated with a thick glob of stuff at the top of the bowl and watery stuff on the bottom. I must admit it still tasted pretty darn good, so I tried again and cooked my tomatoes to release some of the juice. It worked like a charm. My sweet momma always says, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” 2 cups Sun Gold cherry tomatoes – or any variety tomato ½ cup Parmesan cheese – fresh is best 2 cloves garlic - crushed 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon salt ❖ Put tomatoes in a saucepot on the stove and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir often in the first few minutes of cooking until tomatoes release their juice. Once the juice releases, simmer, uncovered until most of the tomato liquid is gone. ❖ Puree all ingredients together in a food processor, blender or with a mortar and pestle. ❖ Serve alongside Corn and Black Bean Cakes, Zucchini Fritters, toss with pasta, smear on chicken, roasted vegetables or use as a sandwich condiment. |
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Marinated Summer Salad – serves 6
Salads can be challenging. Especially if you take them to gatherings and forget the dressing. That is one of the many reasons I love a marinated salad. Made in advance and grabbed out of the fridge just before leaving, I never forget the dressing for this salad. 6 cups thinly sliced summer squash 1 red bell pepper – diced ¼ cup basil leaves coarsely chopped 2 cloves garlic minced or crushed 1 lemon – finely grated zest and juice 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon salt ❖ Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. ❖ Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 4 days. ❖ Serve alongside grilled burgers, green bean hummus, herb focaccia, polenta tomato pie, on a bed of greens, or tossed with cooked rice, or pasta. |
Easy Refrigerator Pickles – makes about 2 quarts
These are neither sweet nor sour pickles, and they have dill in them but I wouldn’t call them a dill pickle. What they are is crunchy and flavorful. Because there is no heat involved they don’t get soft like some canned pickles do. As a bonus, you can just keep adding cucumbers to the brine over several weeks for a continuous pickle supply. 2 cups water ¾ cup sugar 3 cups cider vinegar 8 cloves garlic – peeled and sliced 10 Bay leaves 2 Tablespoons fresh or dried dill 4 teaspoons salt 2 Tablespoons mustard seeds 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds 1 teaspoon peppercorns ½ teaspoon cumin seeds 6 cups sliced cucumbers (3 pounds) ❖ In a sauce pot bring the water and sugar to a boil, stir to dissolve sugar. ❖ Remove from heat, allow to cool 10 minutes, and add vinegar. ❖ Add remaining ingredients, except cucumbers, to the brine. ❖ Pack cucumbers in jars or whatever kind of container you like. Pour brine over cucumbers, making sure the brine is covering them. ❖ Put in the fridge and let sit at least 12 hours. ❖ Pickles will keep refrigerated for several months. |
