[RandB]

OK folks,

I need ideas for using cucumbers! Our garden has gone wild this year, currently we are awash in squash and cucumbers. Besides slicing into salads, and marinating with ranch dressing, or marinating in vinegar (my Mom does that, I don't like vinegar..) how do you like to eat cucumbers? I would also be happy for some new ideas for yellow summer squash ---

 

[Old Vet]

Piclkes and more piclkes. Their are more than sweet and dill pickles. You will probily like bread and butter pickles.
The squash I boil up and run through a ricer then add pumpkin pie spice and some sugar. Then I put it into a pie crust and bake. Just like a pumpkin pie.

 

[Kmac15]

stuff your cucumbers with tuna or chicken salad, just slice length wise and de-seed with a spoon and fill.

 

[nehimama]

Got a dehydrator? Slice and dehydrate. Toss into soups and stews later on this winter. Slice, sprinkle with dry ranch dressing, dehydrate, and make cucumber "chips".

NeHi

 

[Peacock]

Boy I wish I had that problem. I planted lots of cucumbers, but they're all growing deformed and club-shaped. I don't get it - everything else is doing great, the squash are getting pollinated fine. Frustrating.

Can you make pickles out of zucchini and yellow squash? You can make relish from them, stands to reason you could make pickles too...squash I have in abundance.

 

[matt633]

My grandmother used to make homemade bread and butter pickles...I don't think they taste like vinegar...I never ate em, but my brother LOVED them.

Squash....
we like boiled squash and onion (boil squash w/ diced onions, add butter salt and pepper),

squash casserole (a few cups of sliced cooked squash, can of cream of chicken or celery, small container of sour cream, salt and pepper....make mix of Stouffers and melted butter...layer Stouffers, squash mixture, Stouffers...bake at 400 about 30-45 minutes),

chicken packets (chicken breast, sliced squash, zuchinni, carrots, diced potatoes, with butter, S&P, and a little worcestire, chicken broth, and garlic powder wrapped up in foil and sealed well...bake at 425 for almost an hour...or you can leave out potatoes and serve over steamed rice)

Chicken "stir fry" (blackened chicken pieces, sliced squash, brocolli florets cooked down in 1 and half cups chicken broth, 1/4 cup worcestire or soy sauce, sprinkle of garlic powder or ginger, S&P. serve over rice)

On the grill....kabobs w/ steak, chicken, shrimp, squash, zuchinni and mushrooms (a SPECIAL treat here as it is expensive) But you could do veggie only kabobs w/ hamburgers , if you wanted.

I also like plain old steamed veggies. DH boils his squash whole, then cuts it down the middle like a baked potato and puts butter and S&P on it.

Hope this helps, Rachael

 

[tamsam]

Try rolling them in flour and fry. Pretty darn good. Also fried dill pickles aren't bad either. Sam

 

[ajaxlucy]

My grandmother used to make stuffed cucumbers: she'd peel and hollow out a fat one, stuff it with a mix of meat, onion, and spices, put it in a pan with some liquid, and cook it until soft. Then she'd slice it, put the slices on a plate, and top with a white sauce.

 

[DenverGirlie]

I add cucumbers to sandwhiches all the time. Of course a dinner salad, but also deseed and chop and add to pasta salads. I also make a simple cucmber salad with tomoatoes and fresh herbs with some salt, pepper and dill. Yum.

Any excess squash gets shredded, drained and frozen for bread and casseroles in the winter. Also can try dehydrating, we did but sliced too thin and it was a wash. Will try it again this summer.

 

[Mid Tn Mama]

Cukes sliced with sliced onions and tomatoes in a vinagrette. Add a little feta cheese if you like.

Sliced cukes with sliced onions, sour cream and dill and garlic.

 

[Cindy in NY]

Thinly slice the yellow squash with onion and saute in butter or oil. Season with lots of pepper. YUMMY!!

 

[trixiwick]

Can you make pickles out of zucchini and yellow squash? You can make relish from them, stands to reason you could make pickles too...squash I have in abundance.

I've made lots of pickles with zukes - they won't be quite as crispy as cuke pickles, but they'll be just fine. So far, I've made garlic pickles, sweet pickles, and curry pickles, and still the stupid plants aren't done producing! :help:

Remind me not to plant zukes in 2008 - this is really enough for awhile.

 

[Pony]

Oh, boy! CUCUMBERS!!

If you're interested in making crock pickles, they are SO easy and incredibly tasty!

I can post instructions, or you can check out the Ball Blue Book or any book on canning/preserving. You don't have to have crocks, either. Food grade 5 gallon buckets work just fine.

Pony!

 

[Melissa]

I hope I get many, many cucumbers. I planted so many of them as I want to make at least 100 quarts of sweet pickles.

 

[Pony]

Almost forgot Zucchini Fritters. They are my DD's favorite, and I just made them for her breakfast this morning.

Take a few nice zucchini and shred them (or chop fine). Put them in a bowl with a cup of baking mix (I use Jiffy because it's cheap), 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan, minced parsley, minced garlic to taste, a few grinds of pepper, and a couple of eggs. Mix it all together, and fry in a hot, oiled skillet as you would pancakes.

The kid loves these so much that she ate them for breakfast AND lunch. The Air Force may have the best chow of all the branches of service, but they can't Mama Pony's culinary expertise!

Pony!

 

[MountAiry]

(sigh) Wish I could grow them. (I’m allergic to them.)
Last time I tried to grow them (I can eat pickles for some reason so thought I would try pickling) I broke out in hives just from touching them. And if I try to even taste one, inside of my mouth goes berserk with itching and redness and an immediate allergic reaction.

Yall enjoy and keep making those wonderful crunchy pickles!
:stirpot:

 

[Callieslamb]

When you have had enough - pull up the plants!!!!

I pulled all but one cuke this year and the summer squash. I am the only one that eats the squash. I have had my fill and froze all that I can possibly eat this fall. Time for that plant to go.

Where the summer squash and cukes were will be the new home for another round of bush beans and either the broccoli or cabbages for this fall.

 

[Mid Tn Mama]

Pony: Please post the crock pickles recipe. Thanks.

 

[Grandmotherbear]

left my computer at the lake this week but this question intrigued me so I did some research-
Cold cucumber soup. Pare, deseed, puree, add sour cream or yogurt, garnish with dill.
Cook in a gratin.
Aspic. Pare, desseed, puree, add to unflavored gelatin mix melted in hot water.
Palm Beach Post on Thursday suggested a "gratine" which is basically a savory sorbet. Take the pureed mixture and freeze, in a shallow pan, stirring at intervals. Serve with the meat, in a seperate bowl.
The first 3 suggestions were from The Joy of Cooking.