Cucumbers, Cucumbers, and More Cucumbers (and One Pickled Radish Recipe)

By Laura Dobbins and Anna Curran

​We’re full on into cucumber season, so Anna and I have been making use of the varieties that we’ve been getting in the CSA. Then we just had some more wonderful radishes too, so Anna pickled the dickens out of them--check out the gorgeous picture. (She also made some more of her mung bean radish green dish that was in the last blog we submitted--those radish greens don’t go to waste in our kitchen!)

​You’ll see recipes below with pictures of what we’ve made for: 

• A chopped cucumber salad, which Anna tells me is called a “Shepherd’s Salad,” that uses a combination of our fresh herbs. We used that tonga melon, which we found out is like a super crunchy cucumber that is a little less watery.  
• A gazpacho made of cucumber and pineapple that will change your life! It is absolutely a taste sensation, one you don’t want to miss this summer. Or any summer ever again! 
• A classic Greek salad, but with the addition of mint, which is refreshing and wonderful. I took it to an outdoor picnic, and it was a hit. We made boats out of leaves of crunchy romaine to eat it in. 
• Pickled radishes, which are crunchy and lovely, and the brine is intense. This is a side dish or small doses kind of recipe. They work great as a salad dressing if you add some olive oil--quick, easy, crunchy. We used apple cider vinegar, which has loads of health benefits too.

Simple Cucumber Shepherd’s Salad

Ingredients
​1 large cucumber, peeled
1 large fuzzy-skinned tonga melon cucumber (the delicious thing in our CSA 7/18/17 but doesn’t look like tonga melons on the internet), peeled 
Fresh basil, small handful
Fresh mint, small handful
Fresh parsley, small handful
2 tablespoons olive oil (approx.)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (approx.)

Cut cucumber and tonga melon in half, remove the seeds, then cut each half in half. You end up with seedless cores--they are quartered, and then slice these so you have perfect ¼ inch to ½ inch chunks. Put them in a large bowl. Chop your herbs--basil, mint, parsley. Add to the bowl, and add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (probably around ½ to 1 teaspoon). Add olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Toss all the ingredients so they are well mixed. Refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours so the flavors have time to come out before serving.

Pineapple Cucumber Gazpacho

Loosely based off this recipe: http://memeinge.com/blog/pineapple-cucumber-gazpacho/ 

​4 cups chopped pineapple 1 pineapple
​6 cups English cucumber 1.5-2 cucumbers, unpeeled
1 1/2 cups 100% pineapple juice
4 TBSP minced jalapeno 1 jalapeno
4 TBSP chopped green onion 2 green onions
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 tsp sea salt
Raw macadamia nuts
Olive oil

Add the pineapple and cucumber to a blender or food processor. Blend for 30 seconds.
Add remaining ingredients. Taste and add additional pineapple juice, cilantro, and/or salt if desired. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Chop the macadamia nuts and sprinkle on top. Drizzle olive oil on top. Serve cold, and enjoy!

Tomato Cucumber Salad with Mint

I loosely followed the recipe below from AllRecipes: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/86808/tomato-cucumber-salad-with-mint/print/?recipeType=Recipe&servings=6&isMetric=false 


Ingredients
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2/3 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Mix in cucumbers, and marinate 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
2. Gently toss tomatoes, onion, mint, and olive oil with the marinated cucumbers. Season with salt and pepper.

Spicy Quick Pickled Radishes

Loosely adapted from https://cookieandkate.com/2014/spicy-quick-pickled-radishes/ 

1 bunch radishes
¾ cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
¾ cup water
3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (this yields very spicy pickles, so use ½ teaspoon for medium spicy pickles or none at all)
½ teaspoon whole mustard seeds (optional)
Anna added in: garlic cloves, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, fresh dill

​To prepare the radishes: Slice off the tops and bottoms of the radishes, then use a sharp chef’s knife or mandoline to slice the radishes into very thin rounds. Pack the rounds into a pint-sized canning jar. Top the rounds with red pepper flakes and mustard seeds.

​To prepare the brine: In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, honey or maple syrup and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, then pour the mixture over the radishes.

Let the mixture cool to room temperature. You can serve the pickles immediately or cover and refrigerate for later consumption. The pickles will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks, although they are in their most fresh and crisp state for about 5 days after pickling.