Tasty Bites: Summers Bounty Cucumbers

By Candy, RN (Steele the Day)

Remember the “family reunion cucumbers” Aunt Blondie inevitably brought Every. Single. Year? Yep, me too. They were good, but when I was given a huge bag of cukes the other day I thought they needed a little more flair. I was looking for the same great taste, but better. Because I like zing.

As I sliced the cucumbers, I had to look no further than my patio herb pots and my teensy vegetable garden beyond, loaded with peppers (and nothing else). Add a few of these different flavors to your cucumbers and see if you don’t like the difference. And next time? I’m adding a jalapeno. Like I said, I like zing. And I have way too many peppers. This would also be good using fresh dill in place of basil.

I like light mayo because it has a shorter ingredient list than the fat-free kind, but you can use either.

This combination of veggies is loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, dietary fiber, Vitamin B6, and folate.

Summers Bounty Cucumbers

2-10 inch cucumbers, unpeeled

1 small red onion

1 large banana pepper

½ - ¾ cup fresh basil

¾ cup light mayo

¼ cup cider vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

Fresh ground black pepper

Slice cukes, onions, and pepper to uniform thickness. (I like them pretty thin so I used a mandolin). Place in large bowl and fill with cold water. Add about a tablespoon of salt and fill bowl with cold water. Add a couple of handfuls of ice and mix well with your hands. Allow to sit about 30 minutes. Chiffonade the basil and set aside.

Drain vegetables and rinse well. Let drain, or throw them in your salad spinner to remove excess water. Place back in bowl.

In a medium bowl, mix the mayo, vinegar, and together with a whisk until smooth. Add to the vegetables and stir until they are well covered. Stir in basil and top with fresh ground black pepper to taste. Allow to marinate for about an hour, if you can wait that long.

Candy Steele is a registered nurse who has worked with cardiac patients for over thirty years. “Functional foods” have become her passion, and she enjoys sharing her love of cooking, a random life and a faithful Jesus with her friends at Steele (the Day). She is blessed with three grown children, a new daughter-in-law, and a kind and patient husband who only knows how to fix popcorn (but she’s OK with that).

Comments

[Helen]

Sounds delicious. It made me think of our family recipe, which uses sour cream not mayo. What do you think of using yogurt instead of sour cream or mayo?