Fast cucumber recipes.

It’s been a banner year for cucumbers so I wanted to share some recipes.
First up is sliced cucumbers with Tajin and fresh dill. Tajin is a chili lime spice blend that’s easily found in most Hispanic stores. A few days ago I discovered it was even better with fresh lime juice on top!
Next up is possibly my favorite. Sliced cucumbers with balsamic and feta. It is out of this world!
What’s your favorite way to enjoy your cucumber harvest?

*Drooling on keyboard*
Your harvest looks scrumptious!

My cukes have suffered this year. I have been able to can several jars of dill pickles and relish, but I'm finding my cukes go from being too small to harvest one day, then overnight becoming ginormously huge!! They don't have a bitter taste, which is surprising since we've had a pretty hot summer so far. But my vines are dying back, so I think my cukes are done for the year. I'm planning to plant my vines in partial shade next year to see if they fare better.

But when I do get a pretty cuke, my favorite way to serve it is chopped up with tomatoes, dill, a vinagrette, and queso fresco. A bit of salt and pepper, and call it done.

We also enjoy a Cucumber Salsa:

2 cups finely chopped and seeded cucumber (peeling is optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped and seeded tomato
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 Tbsp. finely minced fresh parsley
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, pressed or mince
1/4 cup sour cream
1 to 1.5 tsp. EACH of lemon and lime juice (can substitute a good vinegar)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste

This goes really well as a side dish to Indian fare, in my family's opinion. The jalapeno makes it zesty, but the sour cream gives it a cooling effect.

Speaking of drooling…..
I like everything in that recipe! I don’t normally take screenshots but I did your post. Wanted to make sure I didn’t lose that one!

This is my favorite way to use cucumbers. It is so refreshing and crisp. It takes just minutes to make, is delicious and keeps well in the fridge.

Japanese Cucumber Salad (Sunomono)

INGREDIENTS
 
1 large English cucumber or 2 Japanese cucumbers
½ tablespoon salt
½ tablespoon sugar , or more to taste
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

-Thinly slice the cucumber. You can do it either by hand or using a food processor.
-Rub the slices with salt and drain for 5 minutes in a colander.
-Rinse under cold running water and squeeze them tightly to remove water. Set aside.

-In a small bowl, mix the sugar, soy sauce, and rice vinegar until the sugar dissolves.
-Add the dressing to the cucumber slices, sprinkle with sesame seeds and mix well. Enjoy!

Credit

I like to make a India Relish with mine but for something quick and easy have you tried Gazpacho? It is a cold soup:

https://permies.com/t/152388/kitchen/Recipe-Gazpacho

I just finished off a large bowl of gazpacho. Such an inclusive dish. Whatever you like (mostly) can go in and it’s great!

grated cucumber mixed into yogurt, seasoned with whatever looks good (garlic powder, cumin, black salt, dill, mix and match....)

the quickest is COLD cucumber sliced and made into sandwiches with a smear of miso in between (if you're a nori fan, wrap it in nori). Or if you really like miso, put some in a bowl and dip your cold cucumber in it to pick up like dip (moderation!). Learned that one working on a farm in the summer as a young person and to this day it hits the spot, with a cold beer on a summer night.

I also like to smash, briefly salt, and then squeeze pickles and top them with a bit of ginger juice (grate then squeeze), sesame oil, and black pepper. Smash big or small, if they are big cukes cut out the seeds and just smash the flesh.
You can vary this by mixing miso with a bit of white vinegar, top it with whatever good you have in the garden (shiso is ideal, but scallions, garlic chives, basil work fine too).

We make a lot of quick cucumber pickles to eat with dinner year round!

I have so many summer squashes, potatoes and tomatoes sitting on the counter so I let my cucumber grow to maturity. Old cucumber has firmer texture and makes great soup in Asian cuisine.

This recipe is perfect for summer!! I like that it's really fast and easy to do.