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Summer Quick-Pickles

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If your garden is overflowing with cucumbers, quick-pickling is a great way to preserve them. Using rice vinegar in place of white vinegar gives these pickles a unique flavor, along with classic pickling spices dill and garlic. These will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, and are a delightfully crunchy and tangy topping on Asian dishes, salads and even in sandwiches.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic (3 T if using pre-minced)
8 small cucumbers (or 3 large, depending on what variety you’re growing in your garden)
1 generous bunch fresh dill

Instructions:

Mince your garlic. Set aside.

Wash your cucumbers and peel or cut off any bad spots on your cucumbers. You can choose to completely remove the peel from your cucumbers if you prefer, but it is not necessary.

Slice your cucumbers to about ¼ of an inch in thickness.

In a large dish with an airtight lid, put half of your sliced cucumbers. Lay about half of your minced garlic and dill on top of the layer of cucumbers. Repeat this with the other half.

Pour your rice vinegar on top and put the lid on your dish.
Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Chilled Cucumber and Yogurt Soup

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With the arrival of summer’s hot weather, you might be getting creative with different ways to cool off. Try out this chilled cucumber soup, made with greek yogurt. It’s a refreshing, creamy, tangy dish you can enjoy on a particularly warm afternoon or evening. Serve it as an appetizer or a palette cleanser along with your favorite grill fare – or, enjoy it on it’s own!

This recipe calls for greek yogurt. For vegans or those who are lactose intolerant, any type of unsweetened greek-style or thick yogurt will work great in this recipe.

 

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber
1 cup unsweetened greek yogurt
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
1 T fresh or dried dill weed
1 T lime juice
½ tsp salt or to taste

 

Optional garnishes:

A sprinkle of dill weed
A dollop of yogurt
Thinly sliced cucumbers

 

Instructions:

Dice your shallot and garlic clove. Set them aside.

Peel your cumber and remove the seeds. Chop into medium-sized chunks and set aside.

In a blender or food processor, add the diced shallots and garlic. Add your cucumber, greek yogurt, dill weed, lime juice and salt.

Blend the soup until it is smooth.

Transfer the soup into the fridge, in an airtight container and allow it to cool for 30 minute to an hour. Serve and enjoy!