Cucumbers coming thick and fast--

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makecheese, Jan 8, 9:14pm
HAS ANYONE GOT AN EASY CUCUMBER RELISH RECIPE PLEASE?
oops sorry about the caps- we have apple cucumbers and telegraph, no tomatoes for quite a while yet.

davidt4, Jan 8, 9:21pm
This is my favourite relish.It keeps for a year.

Bread & Butter Pickle (9 small pots)

1.4 kg peeled and sliced cucumbers
450 g brown onion, finely sliced
2 red capsicums, cored and finely sliced
40g salt
285 g white or raw sugar
40g yellow mustard seed
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp tumeric powder
½ tsp ground mace
600 ml cider or white wine vinegar

Layer veges with salt, cover and stand 2 - 3 hours.Drain, rinse in cold water and drain again.Meanwhile put rest of ingredients in a preserving pan and boil 2 min.Add drained veges and bring up to a boil, stirring frequently.As soon as it reaches a full boil remove from heat, pot in small jars and cover.

makecheese, Jan 8, 9:39pm
Thanks davidt4, that sounds nice.

rog.e, Jan 8, 10:04pm
Gazpacho (a chilled uncooked soup based on tomatoes, originating in Spain) is very delicious and uses seaonal vegetables. Cucumbers, capsicums, onions, tomatoes, garlic,olive oil, and seasonings etc. Use Google to find recipes. V

harrislucinda, Jan 8, 10:09pm
cucumberandonionpiclke
3largecucumber2lbsonions2cupssugar1/2cup flour1dspeach ofmustardturmiccommon salt
cutuponionsandcucumbersprinlkewith saltandletstandovernightstrainnextday.put inpanandcoverwithvinegarboil30 minsoruntiltenderthickenwith restofingredmixedwithlittlevinegarsimmer5minthenbottlewhencold

fisher, Jan 8, 10:42pm
Cheers Davidt...just what Im looking for...for all the cucumbers coming on..

uli, Jan 8, 11:59pm
Man - I have now 27 courgettes sitting here.
Not quite cucumbers I know - but what on earth am I going to do with them? Never had so many coming on ... it is like 6 or 7 every day !! From 3 plants!! HELP :)

jimminette, Jan 9, 12:13am
Skite!!!!!!!!!!!!!

davidt4, Jan 9, 12:31am
We've got a similar problem with a plague of scallopini.I used up a lot in a Soupe au Pisto (with haricot beans, leeks, garlic & basil - let me know if you want a recipe) and I'm going to make this when I get desperate:

Piccalilli

makes 1.8 kg

1 large cauliflower
400g pickling onions
900gzucchini/scallopini
225g salt
2.4 litres water
200g sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1 litre white vinegar
¼ c plain flour
1 tab tumeric

Divide cauli into smallflorets, peel and quarter onions, seed and finely dice zucchini and cucumber, top and tail beans and cut into 2.5 cm lengths.

Layer veges in a bowl, sprinkling layers with salt.Pour water over, cover and stand 24 hours.

Drain veges and discard brine.Rinse well and drain thoroughly.

Put sugar, garlic, mustard, ginger and 900 ml vinegar in preserving pan, heat gently, stir until sugar dissolved.Add veges and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 - 15 min until almost tender.

Mix flour and tumeric with 100 ml vinegar and stir in, stir and simmer 5 min until thick.

Use within 1 year.

fisher, Jan 9, 1:09am
ooh oooh oooh...I will make that Piccalilli as well...hahahaa...
Uli..from 3 plants... now you know how easy it was to get 60 from 10 plants...:}}

buzzy110, Jan 9, 1:27am
Dehydrated zucchini
Choose young, slender zucchini. Wash zucchini and cut into 1/4-inch slices for cooking purposes or 1/8-inch slices for chips. Dry in a single layer in a 125-degree oven until brittle. Use slices in soups and casseroles or sprinkle zucchini chips with seasoned salt and serve with dips.

Found this on the net. Looks like a goer. I, too am just managing to keep pace with my courgette plants but that will probably change quite soon. Currently I quite like adding them to a fusion Chinese/Indian stir fry.

davidt4, Jan 9, 1:31am
I've been cooking our scallopini and zucchini very simply by slicing finely, putting in a covered pan with a lump of butter and plenty of salt and fresh white pepper, shaking the pan over medium heat until they just start to soften.It really only works with super-fresh veges.

pixiegirl, Jan 9, 2:17am
x1
Uli - I saw in a book the other day - maybe the NZ Gardeners diary - a recipe for a lemon curd made with courgette I think.I will have a look tonight and see if I can find it for you if you like.

meron, Jan 9, 2:28am
Try zucchini chunky sliced diagonal pan fried in little butter, liberal shake of mixed herbs over. Really nice

buzzy110, Jan 9, 2:39am
I have a bucket of piccalilli vegetables in salt waiting for tomorrow, as we speak. I did it this morning. I have a small glut of cauliflower, celery, cabbage, cucumber and courgettes.

I just slice and dice whatever I have plus onion, to make 61bs (which is the amount in Aunt Daisy's recipe. Always comes out great.

buzzy110, Jan 9, 2:40am
What I really need is a recipe for cos lettuce. I saw them being cooked or blanched somewhere but can't remember where.

davidt4, Jan 9, 3:38am
This is a fantastic lettuce recipe from "Fat: A Much Misunderstood Ingredient"

Lamb Necks with Lettuce & Dill (Jennifer McLagan)

8 pieces trimmed lamb neck - about 1.4 kg
salt and pepper
1 small onion, sliced
4 spring onions in 2 cm lengths
2 cloves garlic
4 sprigs of dill plus ¼ c chopped dill leaves
2 strips lemon zest
250 ml white wine
8 small potatoes,sliced thickly
1 head lettuce, roughly shredded.
1 c peas

Slash chops around edges a few times to prevent curling.Season well.

In the bottom of a large casserole lay the onions, garlic, dill sprigs and zest.Lay the lamb on top, pour in the wine plus 250 ml water.Bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Reduce heat and simmer 60 - 70 min until tender, turning lamb once.

Remove lamb to a plate and pour liquid and veges into a bowl, stand at least 30 min for the fat to rise.Remove fat.

Put potatoes in bottom of casserole, place lamb on top.Add ½ tsp salt to veges andpour over the top.Cover tightly and simmer 60 - 75 min until potatoes cooked.

Add lettuce, peas and half of chopped dill.Cover and cook 10 min until lettuce wilted, add remaining dill, stir to combine lettuce with cooking liquid but do not crush the potatoes.

Check seasoning and sprinkle with remaining dill.

Can be cooked in two stages, first stage as far as taking lamb and veges off heat, chill up to three days and defat, then add potatoes and continue/

davidt4, Jan 9, 3:38am
Keema of Beef & Lettuce

Serves 4

2 onions
3 cl garlic
2 cm ginger
3 tab oil
1 tab coriander powder
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chilli flakes
450g minced beef/venison
350g peeled tomatoes
salt & pepper
2 lettuces, chopped
1 tab tomato paste
1 tsp garam masala
½ c yoghurt

Sauté onions, garlic, ginger & oil. Add coriander, tumeric, cumin & chilli and stir until fragrant.Raise heat and add meat, stir until coloured.

Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, lettuce and tomato paste.Simmer 30 min – should end up fairly dry.Stir in garam masala and yoghurt

davidt4, Jan 9, 3:39am
Egg in light vegetable soup (Michel Roux)

serves 6

1 kg ripe tomatoes
1 lettuce (about 400g)
60g butter
1.25 litres water or chicken stock
150g potatoes, peeled and diced
salt & pepper
6 poached eggs

Peel, quarter and deseed tomatoes.Dice enough flesh to make 6 tab for the garnish.

Wash lettuce and shred a few leaves, set aside for garnish.

Melt butter in large pan, add lettuce and sweat 4 min.Add tomatoes, stock and potatoes, bring to the boil, cover and simmer 8 - 10 min until potatoes are tender.Puree with stick blender, pass through sieve.Season.

Warm poached eggs and place one in each bowl, pour soup around egg, decorate with garnish.

davidt4, Jan 9, 3:41am
I haven't got a recipe, but I make a cold lettuce, potatoand cucumber soup similar to Vichyssoise .It's basically just the veges braised in butter and pureed with fresh chicken stock and cream.It's nice hot as well as cold.

snapit, Jan 9, 6:35am
another use for courgettes is as bread and butter pickles.

Bread and Butter Pickle
1 kg courgettesor Telegraph cucumbers
4 large onions
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
½ cup plain salt
2 cups sugar ( I find this a bit sweet maybe 1 ½ )
2 ½ cups white vinegar
1 cup water
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp celery seed
2 tsp mustard seed (I use the yellow)

Slice the vegetables on the thick slice of the slicer [I’ve got a V slicer “Borner” some they are wonderful) or the thick slice in the food processor.
Sprinkle with the salt and stand for 2 hours
Drain and rinse, check saltiness rinse again if needed. Drain well in a colander
Meanwhile cook all except the vegetables for 2 minutes
Add the vegetables and cook 15 minutes
Bottle and seal(vacuum seal) I reuse jam jars or pint preserving jars or the old coffee jars, make about 4 or 5coffee jars.

You can leave out the peppers or use more or whatever colours you like

pixiegirl, Jan 9, 9:01pm
x1
Zucchini Lemon Curd (from NZ Gardener 2010 diary")
A sweet way to eat gold courgettes.
This zucchini jam idea from Nelson gardener Kaye Blaker is one of NZ Gardener's most reqiuested recipes.It looks and tastes exactly like lemon curb, but because it doesn't include eggs can be stored in jars in your pantry,Make a zucchini meringue pie - bet no one guesses the secret ingredient,

Ingredients:
1 kg "Gold Rush" zucchinis, or peeled green zucchini, juice and zest of 3 lemons, 1kg sugar, 125g butter.

Method:
Chop courgettes finely and steam till tender.Puree in a food processor.Place the zucchini pulp in a pot with the rest of the ingredients and stir over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved.Increase heat and boil for about 30 minutes, until the curd is thick and creamy like lemon honey.Pour into warm steralised jars and seal.

uli, Jan 9, 9:42pm
Thanks for that snapit and pixiegirl - I will get to the task this afternoon when it is too hot to do anything outside.

fisher, Jan 10, 3:48am
oks garden all tended to, weeded.. trimmed tomatoes of old leaves.. planted new lot of beetroot..ripped out old silverbeet.. bush basil.. etcetc...nice day in the sun.. davidt4.s"bread and butter pickle"(post #2) albut ready to finish nicely salted and stewing :}..waiting for daughter no1 to bring back mace from supermarket..now WHY do they call it bread and butter pickle.. ???is it because you spread it on bread and butter ??

uli, Jan 10, 4:34am
Because cucumber sandwiches were the BIG thing in England years ago ... I guess because they were difficult to grow then (because of the "little ice age") and needed to have a hothouse really to do well.

They were originally served on buttered bread like a sandwich! Try it out :)