Bread & Butter Pickles

My Grandma Howard used to make Bread & Butter pickles, and my mom used to love them.  But, unfortunately, my Grandma Howard died well before her time...  So, my mom hadn't had those pickles since 1980.  She recently found a cookbook that belonged to my Grandma, and lo & behold....  There was one dirty, well-worn page that just happened to be a recipe for Bread & Butter pickles.  She came to visit me, and we made them to see if they were the same.  Success!  The pickles are delicious!

Ingredients
1 1/2 c salt
1 gallon water
8 medium-to-large cucumbers, sliced thin
1/4 of a white onion, chopped
1/2 c of chopped bell peppers
5 c cider vinegar
5 c sugar
2 Tbsp mustard seed
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Instructions
Combine the salt and water to make a brine...  I needed two large mixing bowls to hold all of this.  Add the cucumber slices and chopped onion and bell peppers to the brine mix and let stand 3 hours.  Drain.

Combine the vinegar, sugar, and spices in a large stock pot or preserving kettle and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.

Add the drained cucumbers and heat thoroughly, but do not boil the pickles.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the pickles into sterilized pint jars while they are still very hot.  Pack them in very tight and use a ladle to spoon the liquid into the jars to fill.  Seal at once, and allow to cool to room temperature.

Spicy Cuke Salad

In case you were wondering:  still finishing up last week's delivery.  With Abby and Mark both out of town, I am going to have to cook vegetarian to ensure #novegleftbehind happens...   

However, Mark and I fell in love with the cucumber this spring in Costa Rica.  At our hotel (really reasonably priced if you are considering going), they would keep filling your glass with cucumber-infused ice water while you lounged at the pool.  It was heaven... 

Anyway, we got a green cucumber and a white cucumber, so I started remembering that trip.  And, that made me want to combine the refreshing cucumber with something spicy and Latin-American-ish...

Ingredients
1 medium green cucumber
1 medium white cucumber (Can't find this?  Just use another green one.  The taste is identical.)
3 small ears of sweet corn
1 medium-to-large tomato, diced
1/4 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 orange bell pepper, diced
1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 small red onion, sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
3 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

Instructions

Bring a small pot of water to a boil on the stove.  Add the corn to the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cut your cucumbers in half and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon.  Chop the remaining cucumber and add to a bowl.

Remove the corn and cut the kernels from the cobs and into the bowl with the cucumber.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and toss with the Red Wine Vinegar.  Chill for at least two hours before serving...  Ideally, it's best when it's had a night to combine and soak into the vegetables.  It's crunch, spicy, and somehow cool and refreshing at the same time...  YUM!  This would be perfect for a barbeque side...

Serves 6

Fresh Radish Salad

This is a refreshing vegetable salad that features giant Japanese red radishes, along with a mix of other vegetables you always have on-hand.

2 giant Japanese red radishes, inch-long julienned
half a medium cucumber, diced
1 hothouse tomato
2 Tbsp red onion, diced
1 tsp green onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp green onion, thinly sliced
red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste


Combine all vegetables in a bowl, and dress with equal parts red wine vinegar and olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.  Serve and enjoy!  Serves 2.