Quickles: Refrigerator Pickles

1 lb. pickling cucumbers 
1 cup white vinegar
2 cups cold water
1 T sugar
2 T kosher salt
1 t. mustard seed
1 t. whole peppercorns
1⁄2 t. red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh dill
5 cloves garlic, peeled

Evenly divide the garlic, dill and cucumbers among four wide-mouthed pint jars. You can cut up the pickling cukes however you want, from slices to halves, etc. (smaller slices soak up the flavor faster). You can pack as many cukes into the jars as possible, even more than the recipe calls for if there’s space.

In a bowl, mix together vinegar, water, red pepper flakes, salt, mustard seed and dill seed to make a flavored brine. Use a funnel to fill each jar with brining liquid. If the cukes aren’t mostly covered, you can add a little more cold water and shake it up. Cap tightly and refrigerate at least one week before eating (or eat some right away and every day after, to see what they’re like:).

Bread and Butter Pickles

9 medium pickling cucumbers, sliced 
2 onions, sliced
2 Tbs. salt
1 and 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 tsp mustard seed
1/8 tsp cayenne (opt)
1/4 tsp turmeric (opt)
1/8 tsp ground cloves (opt)

Use fresh cucumbers; trim 1/8th inch of the blossom ends off, wash and slice. Slice onions. Mix vegetables with salt and let stand 1 hour. Drain, and rinse with 2 cups cold water, draining that water away too. Combine vinegar, sugar, celery and mustard seeds (and any other spices) in a pot and heat to boiling. Cook 3 minutes.
Pack vegetables into jars (2-3 pint wide-mouthed jars), add hot vinegar mixture, leaving 1/2″ headspace. Seal at once and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Cool and store.

Cucumber-Yogurt Salad (Tzatziki)

2 cups of thick Greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)
2 cups of diced or grated cucumber
4 to 10 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp of lemon juice
1 Tbs of olive oil

Prepare all ingredients in advance. Combine oil and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Fold the yogurt in slowly, making sure it mixes completely with the oil. Add the garlic, according to taste, and the cucumber. Stir until evenly distributed. Garnish with a bit of green and serve well chilled.
Add mint or dill: Slight variations include 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh dill and/or fresh mint.

Radicchio Slaw

1 head radicchio, cored and coarsely chopped or shredded
½ head cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)
¼ cup sliced green onion
4 tablespoons roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Dressing:
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 crushed garlic clove or garlic scapes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

Place radicchio, cabbage, carrot, cucumber and cilantro in large bowl. In a small bowl stir together dressing ingredients until well blended; pour over vegetables and toss thoroughly.
Place slaw in serving bowl and garnish.

Summer Tabbouleh

1/2 cup fine bulgur or 1 cup dried (2 cups cooked) chickpeas 
1 tsp salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup boiling-hot water
2 cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1-3 bunches parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint (opt.)
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
½ onion, thinly sliced (opt.)
1 Tbs. toasted cumin seeds (opt.)

Mix the bulgur with the salt and oil and pour the boiling water over. Cover and let sit for 10 min. If using chickpeas, soak dry beans for 2 hours to overnight and boil until soft (up to 3 hours depending on soak time). Run under cold water and remove skins as desired. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill.

Crunchy Spring Salad with Herb Vinagrette

Spring Herb Vinaigrette: 
1 tbsp honey or other sweetener
1/4 c white wine vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
a handful of chopped garlic chives or regular chives
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp fresh chopped oregano
1 tsp or so fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Makes more dressing than needed for one salad. Combine honey and vinegar in a bowl. Then, whisking constantly, slowly pour the olive oil in a thin stream. Season with the herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.
If you have a chive bunch with blooming flowers on it, you can decorate the top of the salad by breaking up the flowers into their tiny purple florets.

Crunchy Spring Salad:
1-2 heads of lettuce – select varieties with good ribs, like romaine, little gems, or butterhead
1 large cucumber, cut in half longwise and then into relatively thick or 1/8th of an inch-ish pieces
7 red radishes sliced
a handful of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or other nuts
Rip or chop up lettuces, and toss salad ingredients together. Toss with some of the dressing, or have each person dress themselves 🙂

Cold Cucumber Soup

5-6 cucumbers (peel if desired)
2 cups milk
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbs. chopped dill
1 tsp salt
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tsp minced mint
1 Tbs vinegar
black pepper to taste

Place all but one cucumber in the blender and process until smooth. Chop remaining cucumber and add. Chill.