Cucumber Bird’s Eye Smash
A spicy, herbaceous cocktail crafted with this week’s fiery hot sauce.
Ingredients:
½ cucumber, washed and cut into bite-sized chunks
4-6 basil leaves
Dash of simple syrup
1.5 ounces dry gin
Juice of 1 lime
Dash of Cucumber Bird’s Eye hot sauce
Method:
1. Muddle the basil leaves and cucumber chunks in a cocktail shaker along with about a half tablespoon of simple syrup. Add the gin, lime juice, and a few drops of the hot sauce and shake with ice. Strain into a glass over fresh ice and enjoy!
German Cucumber Salad with Dill
Caraway seeds and fresh dill lend a robust finish to this creamy, crunchy salad.
Ingredients:
2 Salt and Pepper cucumbers
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)
Method:
1. Combine the onion and two vinegars in a medium bowl and set aside for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
2. Wash the cucumbers well and slice them thinly using a sharp knife or a mandoline. Toss the cucumber with a small pinch of salt in a sieve or colander set over a bowl to catch the juices. Set aside for about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
3. Whisk the caraway seeds, vegetable oil and salt and pepper to taste into the onion vinegar mixture.
4. Spread the cucumber slices on a double layer of paper towels and dry them well. No more than 30 minutes before you are going to serve the salad, toss the cucumbers with the dressing and the dill. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
Marinated Cucumber Salad
Super simple and healthy, this salad is perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers
1 red onion
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Peel the cucumbers and then half lengthwise before thinly slicing. Then, peel and thinly slice the onion and place in a bowl with the cucumber.
2. Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and oil in a bowl and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the cucumber and onion mixture and toss well to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1-2 hours before serving cold or at room temperature.
Cherry Tomato, Cucumber & Mint Salad
This low-maintenance salad is light and bright—perfect for a picnic!
Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup crème fraîche
¼ cup minced shallots
¼ cup finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Freshly ground pepper
Method:
1. In a colander set over a bowl, toss the cucumbers with the salt and let stand for 1 hour. Rinse the cucumbers and pat dry.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the crème fraîche with the shallots, mint, lemon juice and zest and a generous pinch of pepper. Add the cucumbers and tomatoes, toss to coat and refrigerate for a few hours. Stir the salad just before serving.
Quinoa Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber & Coriander
This tabbouleh-inspired salad is fresh and light thanks to an infusion of summer produce and herbs.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half and quarters if large
1 large cucumber, seeds removed, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 small shallots, minced
½ cup green coriander leaves, roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Combine quinoa, 2 cups water and a large pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 7 minutes. Shut off heat and let rest until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer quinoa to a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water until thoroughly chilled. Let drain for 10 minutes.
2. While quinoa cooks, combine tomatoes and cucumbers in a colander. Season with salt and toss to coat. Let drain in sink until ready to combine with quinoa.
3. In a large bowl, toss drained quinoa, drained tomatoes and cucumbers, shallots, parsley, mint, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or for best flavor, let rest overnight in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Salad can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Cucumber Melon Salad with Feta
A true homage to summer, this salad from The Splendid Table is cool, crisp and juicy.
Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1½ cups ripe summer melon, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
¼ cup mint leaves, torn
1 heaping tablespoon finely-chopped scallion tops
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon high-quality olive oil
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Sprinkle the cucumber with salt, roll up the pieces in a double thickness of paper towel and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Unwrap and pat dry.
2. Rub a serving bowl with the garlic. Add the cucumber, melon, mint, scallions, vinegar and 1 tablespoon of oil. Gently combine. Season to taste with more oil or vinegar, salt and pepper.
3. Top with the crumbled cheese and eat immediately.
Cucumber-Lime Slaw
This simple, flavorful slaw is wonderful piled on top of tacos!
Ingredients:
4 cups cucumber, peeled if desired, and cut into very thin matchsticks
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon cayenne
Zest of 1 lime
Sea salt
Method:
1. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, yogurt, lime zest, lime juice, honey and cayenne. Mix well. Stir in the cucumber and jalapeño pepper, and season with salt to taste.
2. Set aside in the refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.
Cucumber & Melon Salad with Basil
Juicy and incredibly crisp, this salad always receives rave reviews.
Ingredients:
½ very ripe Galia, cantaloupe or other summer melon, cut into ½-inch chunks
2 cucumbers, cut into ½-inch chunks
6 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Shelled sunflower seeds
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Toss melon, cucumber, basil, and feta in a medium bowl.
2. Mix equal parts olive oil and balsamic together in a small bowl, then drizzle over the salad, tossing to coat if desired. Finish with a sprinkling each of sunflower seeds, salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Minted Cucumber Salad
Tossed with extra virgin olive oil and fresh mint, this cool salad is an easy summertime side.
Ingredients:
1-2 English cucumbers, sliced
½-1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Method:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers, salt, olive oil, ground pepper and mint. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Cover and let stand for at least 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature.
Cucumber & Snap Pea Salad
This crisp salad will cool you down on a hot summer’s day.
Ingredients:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped parsley, chives and mint
1 cucumber, sliced
¾ pound snap peas, trimmed and halved
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Whisk together the yogurt, vinegar and fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Fold in the cucumber and snap peas. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours.