Spicy Quick Pickles

Ingredients

12 to 14 oz. Persian, kirby or English cucumbers, cut into chunks
4 serrano chiles, halved lengthwise 
3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths 
1 c. water 
1 c. distilled white vinegar 
2 tbsp. kosher salt 
1 tbsp. sugar 
1 tbsp. sambal oelek

Directions
Stuff the cucumbers, chiles and scallions into a 1-quart glass or plastic jar with a tight-fitting lid.
In another 1-quart jar, combine the water, vinegar, salt, sugar and sambal oelek. Close the jar and shake vigorously until the salt and sugar dissolve. Pour over the cucumbers, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) or up to 1 month.

Note: These quick pickles call for thin-skinned cucumbers, such as Persian, kirby or English. You can also use thick-skinned cucumbers, partially peel them to allow the brine to permeate the cucumber.

Overnight Bread & Butter Pickles

Ingredients
4 to 6 pickling cucumbers
1 sweet onion
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. mustard seed
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

Instructions
Slice the cucumbers into thin rounds and slice onions paper thin and place in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients and pour over the cucumber/onion mixture. Mix to coat. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Store in air-tight container(s), keeping in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Halloumi Tofu Bowls with Tahini Amba Dressing

Ingredients

1 cucumber (or 4-5 minis)

1 c. grape tomatoes

1/2 red onion

1 lemon

1 tbsp. mango chutney

2 tbsp. tahini

1 lb. extra firm tofu

1 tbsp. za’atar seasoning

1 tbsp. nutritional yeast

10 oz. shredded red cabbage

4 tbsp. olive oil

Salt

Directions

Peel the cucumber and halve lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon, and slice. Cut the tomato into wedges. Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Halve and juice the lemon. Add the red cabbage, sliced cucumber, tomato wedges, as much sliced red onion as you’d like, just half the lemon juice, 2 tbsp. olive oil, and a pinch of salt to a large bowl. Toss the cucumber tomato salad to combine.

Add the mango chutney, tahini, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 3 tbsp. warm water, and a pinch of salt to a medium bowl. Whisk tahini amba dressing until smooth.

Pat the tofu dry with a clean kitchen towel and cut into 1/2-inch planks. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the za’atar seasoning, nutritional yeast, and ¼ tsp salt. Cook the halloumi tofu until fragrant, another 1 to 2 minutes.

Divide the cucumber tomato salad and top with halloumi tofu. Top with any remaining lemon juice. Serve with tahini amba dressing.

Serves 4. 

1 serving = 375 calories

Burnt Eggplant with Tahini

Ingredients
1 large eggplant
1/3 c. tahini paste
1/4 c. water
2 tsp. pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp. parsley, chopped
salt and black pepper
3 mini cucumbers (6 to 7 oz.)
3/4 c. cherry tomatoes
seeds from 1/2 large pomegranate
a little olive oil to finish

Directions
First, burn the eggplant. To cook the eggplants on a gas stovetop, which is the most effective way, start by lining the area around the burners with foil to protect them. Put the eggplants directly on two moderate flames and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, turning frequently with metal tongs, until the flesh is soft and smoky and the skin is burnt all over. Keep an eye on them the whole time so they don't catch fire. For an oven, pierce the eggplants with a sharp knife in a few places. Put them on a foil-lined tray and place directly under a hot broiler for 1 hour, turning them a few times. The eggplants need to deflate completely and their skin should burn and break.

When cool enough to handle scoop out the flesh into a colander, avoiding the blackened skin. Leave to drain for at least 30 minutes.

Chop the eggplant flesh roughly and transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Add the tahini, water, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, garlic, parsley and some salt and pepper; mix well with a whisk. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more garlic, lemon juice or molasses if needed. You want the salad to have a robust sour, slightly sweet flavor.

Cut the cucumbers lengthways in half and then each half lengthways in two. Cut each quarter into 3/8-inch-long pieces. Halve the tomatoes. Stir them and the cucumber into the eggplant mix.

To serve, spread over a shallow dish, scatter the pomegranate seeds on top and drizzle with oil.

Serves 2 to 4.

Cucumber Salad with Smashed Garlic & Ginger

Ingredients
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 1/2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 tsp. sea salt
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
4 small or 8 mini cucumbers (1 1/4 lbs.), peeled
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

For the dressing: 
3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. sunflower oil
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

Directions
To make the dressing, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the sliced red onion, mix well and leave aside to marinate for about an hour.

Place the ginger and salt in a mortar and pound well with a pestle. Add the garlic and continue pounding until it is also well crushed and broken into pieces (stop pounding before it disintegrates into a paste). Use a spatula to scrape the contents of the mortar into the bowl with the onion and dressing. Stir together.

Cut the cucumbers lengthways in half, then cut each half on an angle into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Add the cucumber to the bowl, followed by the sesame seeds and cilantro. Stir well and leave to sit for 10 minutes.

Before serving, stir the salad again, tip out some of the liquid that has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl and adjust the seasoning.

Serves 4 to 6 as a condiment or side dish.

Chilled Cucumber Buttermilk Soup

An excellent accompaniment to my Buffalo Cauliflower. Creamy and cool. 

Ingredients

1-1/2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped coarsely

1 shallot, chopped coarsely

1/4 c. olive oil

1/2 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. sour cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

Chives, to garnish

Directions

Combine cucumbers, celery, shallot, 1 tsp. kosher salt, and olive oil in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve, pressing solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Whisk in buttermilk, sour cream and freshly ground black pepper. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped chives. Serves 2.

White Gazpacho

Ingredients
2 c. of crustless stale bread, broken into pieces
2 c. vegetable stock
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. slivered blanched almonds (must be blanched, the skins are bitter)
2 c. green seedless grapes, sliced in half
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2-3 tbsp. sherry vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
Chives for garnish

Directions
Heat the stock until it's steamy. Turn off the heat and add to the stock the broken up pieces of stale bread. Let cool.

Put the almonds, salt and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the almonds are pulverized. Add the soaked bread and any stock that was not absorbed by the bread into the food processor, then add the grapes and cucumbers. Pulse until the mixture is a rough purée. Add 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and pulse a few seconds to combine. Taste and add the other tablespoon if it needs it – grapes can sometimes be acidic enough to leave out the final tablespoon of vinegar. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Turn off the motor and taste the gazpacho. Add more salt if needed.
Chill before serving, garnish with chopped chives.

Serves 6-8.

Kinda Sorta Sours

Pickles are among our favorite snacks in the Compter-Kalkman household. This Alton Brown recipe for refrigerator pickles (with a few adjustments) has been a hit here in Rochester. It makes only one large jar, so feel free to multiply!

Ingredients
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
5-6 pickling cucumbers, speared
1 cup water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. + 2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. ground tumeric
1 tsp. celery seeds
1 tsp. pickling spice
4 whole garlic cloves, smashed

Directions
Combine the onion and cucumber in a clean spring-top jar. Combine the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the garlic, in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for four full minutes to wake-up the flavors. Add the garlic cloves to the jar. Slowly and gently pour the pickling liquid over the onion and cucumbers, filling to the top of the jar. Cool to room temperature. Top off the pickles with any remaining pickling liquid and refrigerate. Pickles should keep for about 2-3 months.

Classic Cucumber & Onion Salad

My version of the traditional cucumber salad, this dish accompanies picnic fare quite well.

Ingredients
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 small onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. dill weed

Directions
Combine sour cream, sugar, vinegar and salt; add cucumber and onion, tossing gently. Cover and chill 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Serves 4.