quick tart and sweet cucumber pickles

A sunny, warm and windy day in Minneapolis - and mobs of people walking in the park and on the sidewalks with huge smiles and nods to each other - myself included.  It truly is a glorious day in early March, if you can believe it.

It put me in mind of picnic fare , and the tart-but-sweet Finnish "salad" I make with dill and cucumbers, more pickles than salad or side and a breeze to make. Minutes later, I was eating them fresh from the bowl, sweet and sour and a little puckery.  All I had to do was slice the cucumbers and measure out the marinade.

This will keep in the fridge (cover with plastic wrap), but we usually eat it all, so that rarely happens.




Quick tart and sweet cucumber pickles



2 large cucumbers, washed and sliced paper thin (not English cucumbers)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup plain white vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill


You can either slice the cucumbers by hand , which is tedious but doesn't take very long, or you can use your mandoline or food slicer disc-  faster, but sometimes a little messy.

Pour the sugar and vinegar into a glass or non-reactive bowl (not metal) and stir well. Add the chopped dill and the salt and stir well, then add the cucumbers.

Mix well and place in the fridge to marinate for a a half an hour at least - if there's any left.  You should probably make a double batch, just in case.  I wish I'd thought of that because a third of it is already gone.  Just "tasting" to make sure it was perfect:)

Tonight is the very last episode of Downton Abbey, can you believe it?  I will miss it terribly after all these Sunday night years - did you hear they're making a movie with the same cast?  There's something to look forward to!

sizzling days: cucumber pickles with fresh dill

It has been sizzling here .  My outside thermometer registers between 90 and 110 degrees with the sun beating down.   I try my usual trick -  opening windows at night, closing first thing in the morning.  For two days, the house stays cool that way, but no longer.  We are down to cold showers and tepid pond water - the windows stay open all the time.

So, of course, one doesn't think of baking, but instead I reach for chilled French potato salad, stuffed HB eggs, and lots of lemonade.  One day I made Finnish cucumber salad and then wondered why I didn't just stash a jar of them as pickles in the fridge - they are cold, herby, and delicious on turkey wraps with fresh arugula.  I simply sliced the cucumbers, increased the amount of dressing, and stuffed them in a jar for instant gratification and quick, chilly, snacking.

To Make:

1 large cucumber or two medium, scrubbed but not peeled, very finely sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup de-stemmed, roughly chopped fresh dill

One large clean jar



Place the sugar, kosher salt, and white vinegar in a medium-sized ceramic bowl.

Stir the mixture until the sugar and salt have melted into the vinegar.

Add the dill, then add the cucumbers and toss well.

Spoon into the clean jar , cap, and store in fridge .


Stay cool, wherever you are!