I've posted this before....but it's still delicious!

Soup,chilled cucumber
I call this Bridal Luncheon Cucumber Soup, because I have served it at several bridal luncheons. The card says it's from "Cooking Across the South" a cookbook of my daughter's.
2 large cucumbers
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 Tsp dry dill weed
1 cup lemon juice
2 8 oz cartons of sour cream
2 cups half and half
And milk to make it thin enough
Chopped chives and cucumber slices for garnish
Peel and seed the cucumber and puree in a blender.
Pour in the sour cream and 1/2 and 1/2 and mix well....add milk as needed to thin if desired.
Chill and serve garnished with chives and cuke slices.

Here is my mom's cucumber sandwich recipe in her words:

Cucumber Sandwiches
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese�I always use the Neufchatel
1 small cucumber, peeled and seeded and chopped fine
2-3 green onions with tops, chopped fine
Soften cream cheese, thin with a little milk, yogurt or sour cream and 1 tablespoon real mayonnaise. Add chopped vegs and season with 1/2 teaspoon each lemon pepper and cayenne pepper and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste. Spread mixture on heavy brown bread and cut each sandwich into 3 or 4 pieces desired shape. Make at least the day before serving. Cover and refrigerate with damp paper towels on top of sandwiches so they will stay moist. Makes 4-5 large sandwiches�maybe 4 because I like lots of filling in mine.

Here's another recipe I make and use as a spread for crackers or sandwiches. I like a little more cucumber, so I added another half to the recipe. Salting and draining the cucumber releases the water so it doesn't end up in your spread.

Cucumber Sandwich Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 t. fresh dill weed or 1/4 dried dill weed
1/2 t. garlic powder or dried minced
Splash of Worcestershire sauce

1 or 1-1/2 medium cucumbers, peeled and shredded
1/4 teaspoon salt

Peel the cucumber; shred. Mix the cucumber with salt and put into a strainer placed on top of a bowl. Place a ziplock bag filled with water on the cucumber and put in the fridge. Let the shredded cucumber drain into the bowl for at least an hour or two.

Mix the cream cheese, mayo, dill weed, garlic and Worcestershire sauce together. Add the strained cucumber, blending until well mixed.

Oh those all sound wonderful. Maybe tomorrow I will make the soup and the sandwiches. That will use a good amount of those babies!

I think in another thread lrs posted a recipe using vinegar, soy, ginger and a little sugar but they didn't give the measurements. Does anyone know this recipe?

I regularly slice cukes and sprinklew ith a little salt, sugar, a light sprinkle of either cider vinegar or rice vinegar and lots of fresh ground pepper...Oh and I add sliced onions too.

Here's another cold soup...
COLD CORAL SOUP
3 large cucumbers
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup tomato juice
1 Tbs. tomato paste (don't omit, Linda LOL)
1 cup chicken broth
1 quart sour cream
1/4 cup dry fino sherry
12 small fresh basil leaves for garnish
Peel the cucumbers and slice in half lengthwise. Spoon out and discard the seeds. Cut into chunks and place the cucumbers in a blender or food processor. Add the onion, tomato juice, and tomato paste, and process until pureed.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl, add the broth, then whisk in the sour cream and sherry, beating until well incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
Lade into chilled soup bowl and float 2 or 3 basil leaves in each. Makes 4 to 6 servings
Source: La Bonne Soupe cookbook

And the gazpacho recipe I use....I need to do that!!!!
via Liz Jones
1 cups chopped peeled, seeded tomato
1/2 cup finely chopped Green pepper
1/2 cup cucumber chopped and peeled and seeded
1/2 cup chopped celery
� cup chopped onion
2 tsps snipped parsley
2 tsps snipped chives
1 large clove minced garlic
2 � T red wine vinegar
2 T fruity, green olive oil
1 tsp salt
� tsp pepper
� tsp w�shire
2 cups tomato juice�.stir, cover and chill at least 4 hours�over night is better

My adaptations
1 T minced parsley
1 T minced fresh basil
1 T minced fresh chives�or green onion tops
2 cloves garlic through a press
1/2 tsp Fresh ground pepper
1 tsp w�shire

1 cuke from the garden, sliced kind of thick
1 tomato from the garden, sliced kind of thick
2 slices of good quality firm white bread
mayo

spread mayo generously on the bread, sandwich the cuke and tomato slices between and eat while the juices run down your arm

that's summer

seagrass (still waiting for her tomatoes to turn red - just picked her fisrt cuke today)

I use this recipe from Allrecipes.com a lot. It is quick, easy, and keeps for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
I use a vidalia onion and slice everything in the food processor. And I use fresh dill instead of dried because it is in the garden not far from the cucumbers!
Murphy

Here is a link that might be useful: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cucumber-slices-with-dill/detail.aspx

I've always called this Soaked Cucumbers, and it's delicious.

slice cukes thin and sprinkle with salt. Let sit 1/2 hour or so and drain well.

Add a small amount of vinegar (doesn't have to cover cukes) and toss. Refrigerate an hour or so before serving, stirring cukes now and then to absorb vinegar.

May lightning strike me down - we like sliced cucumber buttered with Nutella.

im looking for a refrigerator bread and butter recipe for a gallon jug. Thanks

Popping out of lurkdom to offer this dressing for sliced cucumbers:
2 T rice wine vinegar
1-2 t sesame oil
1/2 to 1 t sugar
kosher salt
optional--soy sauce

I don't really measure the ingredients for this so that "recipe" is just an approximation.

Refrigerator Bread and Butter Pickles (Heritage Recipes)
Pickling cucumbers to fill a gallon jar
3 onions sliced
4 cups sugar
4 cups vinegar
1/3 cup plain salt
1 1/2 tsp each turmeric, mustard seed and celery seed

Combine sugar and vinegar in small saucepan over low heat to dissolve sugar. Add spices. Pack sliced cucumbers and onions in jar very tight, add liquid and spices, seal and refrigerate.

These bread and butter pickles are a wonderful little side dish to set out with just about any meal, but our first love will always be adding them to sandwiches.

Note: The refrigerator pickles don't need to marinate very long at all before they're ready to eat, usually just 24 hours or so.

Welcome out of lurkdom, bookmom! you too deener and sweet betsy, and thanks for that recipe. I can't imagine using up a gallon of pickles, but I'll bet I could easily downsize to a quart, 1/4 of the recipe. Elery loves pickles.

I made these pickles and they were very mild, I liked them because they were sweet and slightly hot, but he'd like them a LOT hotter. They were really good on sandwiches and I made a batch using zucchini too, worked just as well. The original recipe is from Bon Appetit and they used swiss chard stems! I had none of those, so I used cucumbers.

Sriracha Refrigerator Pickles

1 1/2 cups of cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 cup distilled white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

Make a mixture of vinegar and sugar, then stir in onions, Sriracha, and celery seeds. Pour it all over the vegetables, using 3 cups liquid for every 1 1/2 cups vegetables. Throw it in the refrigerator for a few days, and you've got the ultimate refrigerator pickles.

Now, if I can find hot peppers, or when mine ripen, I'm going to make these for Elery, they sound much more fiery:

Fresh Sriracha Refrigerator Pickles
From: Betty Crocker!

6 to 8 red Fresno chiles (4 oz), coarsely chopped
1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon grated gingerroot, if desired
1 teaspoon coarse (kosher or sea) salt
1 English (seedless) cucumber, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion (1 medium)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

In food processor bowl, place chiles, vinegar, garlic, sugar, gingerroot and salt. Cover; process with on-and-off pulses about 1 minute or until well combined.
In medium bowl, place cucumber, onions and cilantro. Pour chili mixture over cucumber mixture; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight before serving. Store covered in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Makes 8 servings (1/4 cup each)

Annie

Annie, the Sriracha pickle recipes would appeal to my husband too. I really like the fact that they are refrigerator pickles. I'd eliminate all or most of the salt, but with the spices, I bet they'd still taste good.

I can get salt free dill pickles online, and they're pretty good. But the refrigerator ones would be perfect during the summer when cucumbers are so abundant.

This is my mom's recipe for a cucumber salad she made often. The amounts are approximate like most of her recipes.

2 large cucumbers, sliced thinly
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 cup of sour cream (or more)
more paprika

Salt the cukes and refrigerate for a half hour or so. Mix the vinegar, sugar, paprika, pepper and garlic together. Squeeze out the cukes and discard their liquid. Mix together gently the cukes, vinegar dressing, onions and sour cream and refrigerate for an hour or so. Garnish with more paprika and serve.

My mom just sent me this one as a bonus when I asked for my grandmother's kosher dill recipe. I guess it's what some earlier posters call "refrigerator pickles."

I'm going to try the recipes with sriracha! They sound great. But my mom swears this one is really good. And I know you don't want to call my mother a liar, so you will make them and you will like them.

Her notes: "I often make it by reducing into one third in a pint jar. Need not fill jar."
Bubbie's Cucumber Salad
3 unpeeled cukes, thinly sliced
1 onion, preferably red or Bermuda but yellow is fine.
2 cloves garlic on tooth pick.
1/2 C vinegar
3/4 C sugar.
Combine and refrigerate a few hours before serving.
Keeps up to 3 weeks.

This is a fabulous thread!!...When people are through adding all their refrigerator pickles, I'm going to save the whole thing!

Bookmom41, that's exactly how I fix our garden cucs, I add finely chopped Japanese sushi ginger. Went great with our teriyaki burgers last night! Quick and easy.

Bookmom41, I think that is the recipe I was looking for measurements for. But, I guess you don't really need any measurements at all.

Claire de luna, I tried your cucumber sandwich and it was fabulous! I love dill. Thank you.

Today I mixed cream cheese with a little milk, dry ranch dressing mix, dill and spread it thick on crusty bread. I topped it with sliced cukes, sprouts and another slice of crusty bread. It was really good.

I'm going to start working my way through more of the above recipes soon.

Karen

Karen, Thanks for sharing that with me. I've almost stopped giving out recipes here because it seems so often I'm just talking to myself. How nice to feel glad I bothered, for a welcome change! I'm glad you liked it, simple as it is.

I'm think I'll combine Claire de Luna's & CookBook's sandwich recipes. I have cucumbers, cream cheese, and dill weed. I'm crazy about green onions, so I think adding them to the cream cheese mixture will be great. Unfortunately, I can't salt the cukes, but I could just slice them thinly and sandwich them between two pieces of hearty bread that have been thickly spread with the cream cheese mixture. My husband loves cream cheese, tomatoes, and homemade bagels for breakfast, so the cream cheese mixture with cucumbers would appeal to him.

Sue, the green onions will be good. I understand why you don't want to use salt, but it's only 1/4 teaspoon which makes the cucumbers ''sweat'' to give up the liquid. Even on a salt-reduced diet, spread out over all the ingredients it doesn't seem 1/4 t. would hurt. Worcestershire sauce (also salty) is just a splash too. I understand adaptations and why we make them, but wanted to explain why the minimal amount of salt is necessary to the recipe. Just a 2 cent explanation!

Lacyvail's method for Soaked Cucumbers is the way I most often use cucumbers on a daily basis when they are in season.

Cucumber Yogurt Soup is very good and refreshing. Peel the cucumbers, quarter lengthwise and cut off the seedy part. Chop finely (some say puree, but I don't). Mix with plain yogurt and a couple of tablespoons of vinegar. Chopped fresh dill weed can be added. Proportions are not critical. Maybe equal parts yogurt and cucumber more or less. I don't use a recipe. Wing it and suit yourself.

Jim

Annie, thank you for the warm welcome. I am a looongg time lurker here, post very occasionally but have gleaned so much information from this forum, enjoyed the beautiful and creative food pics and tried many a recipe. :)

Jessy, I'd add the ginger, too, because I love it but mrbookmom hates ginger in all forms except gingersnaps.

Karen, I know that I originally had a recipe for the cukes and wish I could find it to pass on the exact proportions. My dressing is a little different every time; it usually tastes better when I don't skimp on the sugar.

BTDT bookmom41, I have all sorts of fun pulling together dinner for four diverse tastes (I'm sure I'm in good company)

Last night I generously sprinkled chili con limon on the cucs and it was inhaled by all except DS#2, as usual. It went with our Mexican dinner.

Here is a link that might be useful: one brand chili con limon

Annie --

I want to make your Bon Appetit Siracha Refrigerator Pickles but I have a quick question. The directions say 3 cups of liquid for every 1 1/2 cups of vegetables yet the recipe only has 1 cup of vinegar. If I make the 1 1/2 cups of pickles, do I add 2 cups of water to the brine? Impatient DH doesn't like to wait for anything so I plan on hiding these behind the yogurt (which he won't touch) for a couple of days.

Thanks,
Andrea

Andrea, I did not add water, the sugar added some volume to the brine and it was plenty for those 1 1/2 cups of cucumbers, as written.

shambo, I haven't tried the second one yet, but I'm betting with all that heat, the salt won't be missed much! The first recipe has no additional salt but somehow I'm sure sriracha has plenty!

CdL, believe it or not, I've never had a cucumber sandwich. I'll have to try that, maybe on a toasted bagel, I seem to have a couple of cucumbers every time I go out into the back yard.

LOL, gellchom. "You will make them and you will like them". (grin) Actually, that's much like Grandma used to make "cucumbers" and I liked them!

Annie

Welcome from me too bookmom!

Agree Linda this is a great thread. Those cucumber sandwiches are on my list for this weekend! I always loved them as a kid but it was just butter lettuce mayo and cukes.
These sandwiches sound delish!

Paprikash my Mom used to make cukes like that, I'd forgotten about them. Another must have perhaps tomorrow night with smoked turkey, and fresh sweet corn!

Thanks, Annie -- I put the pickled zucchini together this morning and you are absolutely right about the sugar adding more volume to the one cup of vinegar. By the time I added the sugar and the sliced onion the liquid did equal just about three cups. The brine tasted good -- I'm sure the zukes will too.

Yes, Chase, sometimes some of the "Mom" recipes are the best. I haven't made that cucumber salad in ages but will be very shortly. I can still picture my Mom squeezing out cukes in the summertime. Sometimes she made it as I posted above with sour cream; other times she mixed white vinegar and water with salt, pepper, paprika and onion -- she never measured but it was always perfect.

The cucumber sandwich spread is also good on crackers if a sandwich feels like a lot. Cheese and Cucumber Crackers! I also think cucumbers and bagels are a great combination, and have eaten lots of veggie sandwiches that way.

CDL -- your cucumber sandwich spread is something I will be trying soon, too. Sounds really good.

And, not to change the subject, but your chocolate cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream are also on my to try soon agenda. I need a few more hours in the day. Question on cupcakes: Hershey's cocoa or Dutch processed or am I overthinking again and it probably doesn't matter? I am such a nut for details (it must be the Virgo in me).

Clare de luna, I agree with you. I love cucumbers sliced and put on top of a bagel covered with cream cheese and dill. That's my breakfast some days.

Karen

Cucumber Garlic Yogurt Sauce (Dip)

Greek and Lebanese foods are some of my favorite. Both have their own versions of this sauce. Serve with flatbread wedges. This recipe comes from The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean by Paula Wolfert. This makes 2 1/2 cups and serves 6 people.

Ingredients

1 long English (or seedless) cucumber, peeled
2 cups plain low fat yogurt
2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced fine (minced) with a pinch of salt
Sea salt to taste
3 teaspoons dried mint, crumbled
1 teaspoon olive oil
Sprigs of fresh mint for garnish

Finely dice the cucumber. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, and � teaspoon salt. Drain the diced cucumber of any liquid. Add the cucumber and dried mint, blend well. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, 1 hour. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprigs of fresh mint.

I should have posted this one too. Easy to make with fresh ingredients from your garden.

Tomato Cucumber Salad

This one's a favorite made by a local restaurant called Dinosaur BBQ. The recipe comes from their cookbook. Feeds 6

Ingredients

Salad
1 1/2 lb tomatoes
Pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper
Pinch of sugar
2 medium cucumbers
1/2 large red onion
30 small fresh basil leaves

Dressing
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Core the tomatoes and cut lengthwise into 6-8 wedges. Cut each wedge in half crosswise. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and wake them up with a big pinch of salt, pepper and sugar. Cut the ends off the cucumbers and use a vegetable peeler to make long stripes in the skin. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Add to the tomatoes. Peel the onion and cut lengthwise into slivers. Dump the onions in with the tomatoes and cucumbers and give everything a good toss.

Clean and dry the basil leaves. Stack them on top of one another and roll lengthwise into a tight cigar. Cut crosswise into thin strips and stir into salad.

Throw together a batch of dressing. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over tomatoes and cucumbers. Marinate the salad at room temperature for several hours. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Booberry, Both recipes sound really good. Now, I hope my cucumbers never stop producing. I have so many recipes to try. I think I will try your dip today.

Thanks to everyone for the great recipes!!!

Karen

Paprikash, either one will do. The last time I made them I used Hershey's Dark which was good. Let me know how you like them when you do!

@gellchom Above you stated: My mom just sent me this one as a bonus when I asked for my grandmother's kosher dill recipe.

Would you mind posting your grandmother's kosher dill pickle recipe, please. I have copied the "bonus" recipe your mom sent to you.

Our cucumbers are similarly productive. After doing my best to use them up, I decided enough was enough, left a big stack on my neighbor's doorstep, rang the doorbell, and ran. When I got a phone call a few moments later, I responded to her questioning with "Would I do something like that?"

Here's a spicy cuke salad I've been making for a few years now. It's a nice side for sesame noodles and grilled teriyaki anything.

Thai Cucumber Salad

2 shallots
3 salad cukes
1 or 2 Thai bird chilies (depending on your palate)
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut shallots and chili into thin slices. Cut cukes in half lenthwise and then cut across into thin slices. Place cukes, shallots and chili slices in a bowl.

Heat the vinegar, sugar and salt. Sitr constantly until sugar has dissolved. When mixture boils, remove from heat. After mixture is cool, add to bowl and mix with veggies. Then serve.

seagrass

My mother's cucumber salad recipe is similar to the one Murphy posted from allrecipes.

3 large cukes, some peel left on is OK
1 large onion, Vidalia, yellow, Spanish, thinly sliced
Scallions, optional, I use 3-4, sliced
1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
Salt

Slice the cukes, salt lightly and allow to drain for about 1/2 hour.
Rinse the cukes to remove much of the salt.

In large bowl, stir together the water, vinegar and sugar. Add the cukes, onions, scallions.

I store it in a large glass jar, not plastic, in the fridge. Tastes best after a day or two.

The best taste of summer....

Helene

Annie - This morning I made Betty Crocker's recipe that you posted above. I substituted serrano peppers for the Fresno since I couldn't find them; about 20 peppers came to four ounces.

Heat is relative to the taster but I'd say they have a pleasant but pronounced, lingering heat. On the other hand I know DW would be sprinting for the sour cream, so I won't even offer her any. It could well be that I overprocessed the peppers but I'm not particularly enjoying the texture of the pulpy stuff that's clinging to the cukes. Next time I'll definitely aim for more of a fine mince than a puree, in fact I'll probably chop them by hand. But I'm enjoying the taste, so I say try it! Now I need to come up with some sort of a southwest style burger to serve these with.

p.s. Thanks EVERYONE for your recipes; I love cucumbers and I'm loving this thread!