Tag: cucumbers

Old-Fashioned Stuffed Cucumbers

Cucumbers are a vegetable that I generally either slice and eat raw or pickle, but there are some recipes in hundred-year-old cookbooks that call for baking them. I decided to give a 1925 recipe for Stuffed Cucumbers a try. The cucumber shells were stuffed with a mixture containing the seedy pulp from the center of the cucumbers, chopped onion, chopped nuts, and egg white. The Stuffed Cucumbers were topped with breadcrumbs and then baked.

The Stuffed Cucumbers were tasty with a nice crunchy texture because of the nuts.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Stuffed Cucumbers
Source: Diamond Jubilee Recipes (1925), compiled by The Sisters of Saint Joseph, St. Paul, Minnesota

This old recipe was very vague regarding some ingredients (like how many cucumbers to use) and very specific about other ingredients (1/2 cup of nuts and 1 egg white).  For the ingredients without amounts listed, I decided to use 3 short, fat cucumbers that I got at a farmers’ market, 1/4 cup of chopped onions, 1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs,  1 1/2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. These amounts worked well. I also decided to just beat the egg white until it was foamy, rather than beating until there were stiff peaks, though I am uncertain what the recipe author intended.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Stuffed Cucumbers

  • Servings: 3 - 6
  • Difficulty: moderate
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3 cucumbers (I used short, fat cucumbers, but long ones would also work.)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup nuts, chopped (I used walnuts.)

1 egg white, beaten until foamy

1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350° F. Peel the cucumbers, then put them in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil using high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until the cucumbers are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from heat and drain. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seedy pulp. Put the pulp in a bowl, add the salt, pepper, chopped onion. chopped nuts, and egg white. Stir to combine.

Put the cucumber shells in a baking dish or baking pan. Fill each half with the pulp mixture. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and dot with small pieces of butter. Put in the oven and bake until hot and the breadcrumbs are lightly browned (20 – 30 minutes).

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Cucumber Sauté

cucumber saute spears on plateI was intrigued by a recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook for Cucumber Sauté, so decided to give it a try. Cucumber spears are briefly boiled, then rolled in flour and sautéed.

The Cucumber Sauté spears were slightly crunchy and very tasty.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Cucumber Sauté
Source: The New Butterick Cook Book (1924)

Except for the number of cucumbers, the amounts are not listed for any of the ingredients. When I updated the recipe, I added amounts for some of the ingredients.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Cucumber Sauté

  • Servings: 3 - 4
  • Difficulty: moderate
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water

4 small cucumbers (about 4 – 5 inches long)

butter or cooking oil (I used butter.)

1/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons minced parsley or chives (I used parsley)

Fill a saucepan about 2/3’s full of water; bring to a boil using high heat.

In the meantime, peel the cucumbers, and then quarter them lengthwise. Put the quartered cucumbers into the boiling water, reduce heat so the water simmers and cook the cucumbers 3 minutes. The drain the cucumbers and lay on a paper towel to eliminate any excess moisture.

In the meantime, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Then roll the cooked cucumbers in the flour mixture.

In a skillet, heat enough butter or cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When hot, add the floured cucumbers. Cook until they begin to lightly brown, then turn and lightly brown the other side. When the cucumbers are turned add the parsley or chives and evenly distribute over the cucumbers. When lightly browned on both slides remove from heat, drain on paper towels, and serve.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Cucumber Salad (Cucumber and Whipped Cream Salad)

Cucumber Salad (Cucumber and Whipped Cream Salad)

Summer’s here, and it’s time to enjoy seasonal salads. I found a hundred-year-old recipe for a cucumber salad made with whipped cream that was delightful. Cucumber slices were coated with whipped cream and a little added sugar and vinegar. This resulted in rich-old fashioned sweet-sour dressing.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Cucumber Salad
Source: General Welfare Guild Cook Book (Beaver Valley General Hospital, New Brighton, PA, 1923)

I sprinkled the cucumber slices with 1 teaspoon of salt. I used 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of vinegar when I made this recipe, and it had a nice balance of sweet and sour. I’m not sure why the recipe says that the whipped cream mixture should be mixed into the cucumber slices using a silver fork. I used a stainless steel spoon and it worked fine.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Cucumber Salad (Cucumber and Whipped Cream Salad)

  • Servings: 3 - 5
  • Difficulty: moderate
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3 cucumbers

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar

Peel and slice cucumbers; put in a glass bowl and sprinkle with  the salt. Let sit for 20 minutes, then drain.

In the meantime, put the cream in a mixing bowl, then beat until firm peaks form. Add sugar and vinegar, beat until blended into the cream. Pour the whipped cream mixture over the cucumbers; stir gently to coat the cucumber slices with the whipped cream mixture. Serve immediately.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Cucumber Sandwiches

Cucumber Sandwich on PlateI often see sandwich recipes in hundred-year-old cookbooks. They often contain different ingredients from modern sandwiches, and don’t pique my interest. But. I was intrigued by a recipe for Cucumber Sandwiches. There’s a bumper crop of cucumbers this year, so decided to give the recipe a try. The sandwiches contain lettuce and cucumber slices coated with a sweet-sour Boiled Dressing.

The lettuce and cucumber slices were crisp and the sandwich was tasty – though it seemed very old-fashioned and made me think about old novels where the heroine eats dainty sandwiches similar to this.

The bread is buttered for this recipe. I haven’t buttered bread when making sandwiches in years. Which made the sandwich seem even more old-fashioned.

I probably won’t make this recipe again, but it was fun to make one time.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Cucumber Sandwiches
Source: The New Cookery (1921) by Lenna Frances Cooper

And, here’s the old recipe for Boiled Dressing:

Recipe for Boiled Dressing
Source: The New Cookery (1921) by Lenna Frances Cooper

One loaf of bread would make 8 or 10 sandwiches. There was no way that my husband and I were doing to eat that many. So when I made this recipe, I really scaled the Cucumber Sandwiches Recipe down, and gave directions for one sandwich. The Cucumber Sandwich recipe calls for Boiled Dressing. I made the full Boiled Dressing recipe and used the left-over dressing on other salads. It kept well in the refrigerator.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Cucumber Sandwiches

  • Servings: 1
  • Difficulty: moderate
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For each serving:

6 – 8 cucumber slices, thinly sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons boiled dressing (see recipe below)

1/8 teaspoon grated onion

2 slices bread (preferably thinly sliced)

butter

leaf lettuce

Put boiled dressing and grated onion in a small bowl; stir to combine. Add cucumber slices. Gently roll and stir the slices to coat with the dressing. Set aside.

Butter the bread slices. Put the lettuce leaf on one slice. Top with the cucumber slices that are coated with dressing. Put the second butter slice of bread on top. Serve immediately.

Boiled Dressing

2 egg yolks, well beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon flour

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

Put beaten egg yolks, salt, sugar and flour in a small bowl; stir until blended. Add milk, lemon juice, and butter or olive oil. Put in a saucepan, and heat using medium heat while stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture begins to thicken, remove from heat and refrigerate. If the mixture begins to curdle place the pan in a larger pan of cold water and beat vigorously using a mixer.

The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Sweet Cucumber Pickle Strips

pint canning jar filled with sweet cucumber pickle strips

There were lots of cucumbers in the refrigerator, and my husband said, “Make sweet pickles,” so I started digging through my 1919 cookbooks for a hundred-year-old sweet pickle recipe. I found one that looked somewhat promising, but it ended up being frustrated because it lacked key information.

Recipe for Sweet Cucumber Pickles
Source: Old Reliable Farm and Home Cookbook

When I read this recipe, I had more questions than answers: How many cucumbers do I need to make this recipe? How do I make a “weak brine”? What would be a good spice combination that would result in tasty pickles?

Not to be deterred, I forged ahead – and googled “weak brine.” I then pulled out some of my other cookbooks and looked at their pickle recipes to get a sense of how many cucumbers might be needed based upon the amount of sugar and vinegar listed in the recipe. I also considered various spice combinations listed in other recipes.

Here’s my stab at fleshing out and modernizing this recipe:

Sweet Cucumber Pickle Strips

  • Servings: approximately 5 pints
  • Difficulty: difficult
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15 pounds large firm cucumbers

3 quarts boiling water

4 cups vinegar

4 cups sugar

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon mustard seed

Brine

1 cup salt

8 cups water

Peel cucumbers, then quarter cucumbers by cutting in half lengthwise and then cutting each half in half. Scrape the seeds out of the quarters to create strips.

Put the strips in a crock, or large glass bowl or jar. Cover with the brine.  (Make brine by stirring salt into the water.)  Make sure the strips are submerged in the brine by weighting them down with a plate or other weight. Leave in brine overnight (at least 8 hours), then drain using a colander. Place colander with cucumber strips in sink (if not already in the sink). Scald the cucumber strips by pouring boiling water over them.

In the meantime, make the pickling syrup. Combine vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seed, and mustard seed in a large kettle. Using medium heat bring to a boil. Add the cucumber strips, and bring back to a boil. Cook until the strips are translucent (about 3-5 minutes).

Pack the strips and syrup into hot pint jars; fill to 1/4 inch of top. Wipe jar rim and put lid on.

Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

The verdict: The pickle strips turned out okay. They were sweet and tangy, and had a texture similar to thinly-sliced bread and butter pickles. They were not as crisp as some other pickles. That said, the next time I make pickles, I’ll probably use a different recipe that provides more detailed instructions.

Old-fashioned Scalloped Cucumbers

Why do we almost always eat some vegetables raw, while others are typically cooked? I don’t have an answer, but I know that I was surprised when I recently saw a hundred-year-recipe for Scalloped Cucumbers. And, since it’s cucumber season, I decided to give the recipe a try.

The Scalloped Cucumbers were delightful. The cooked cucumbers still had a hint of crispness, and when mixed with onion slices in a creamy sauce, and topped with cheese and breadcrumbs, this makes a perfect vegetable side dish. Cucumbers are a  tasty vegetable . . . regardless of whether eaten raw or cooked.

Source: The Housewife’s Cook Book (1917) by Lilla Frich

And, here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Scalloped Cucumbers

  • Servings: 5 - 7
  • Difficulty: moderate
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4 large cucumbers

6 medium onions

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated*

1/2 cup fine bread crumbs*

Preheat oven to 375° F. Peel cucumbers, and quarter length-wise. Remove the seeds, and then dice the cucumbers into bite-sized chunks. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender (about 10 – 15 minutes). (Cucumbers are still somewhat firm even when cooked.)

Remove the skins from the onions, and then thinly slice. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender (about 10 – 15 minutes).

In the meantime, in another pan, using medium heat, melt butter; then stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually, add the milk while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the white sauce thickens.

In a large buttered casserole dish, layer the white sauce, cucumbers, and onions. End with a layer of white sauce. Then sprinkle the grated cheese and breadcrumbs on the top. Bake in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

*The original hundred-year-old recipe also indicated that nuts or cereal could be used as a topping.

I didn’t salt the water when I cooked the cucumbers and onions: instead I put some salt in the white sauce. And, I didn’t “butter and crumb” my casserole dish; I just buttered the dish. It worked fine with the crumbs just sprinkled on top of the dish.

Hundred-year-old Tomato and Cucumber Salad Recipe

I love all the fresh summer produce at the farmer’s market. Two of my favorites are tomatoes and cucumbers, so when I saw a hundred-year-old recipe for Tomato and Cumber Salad I knew that I had to give it a try.

The salad  was delightful, and had a light vinaigrette dressing that enhanced the sliced vegetables.

Source: American Cookery (October, 1916)

Source: American Cookery (October, 1916)
Source: American Cookery (October, 1916)

When I made this recipe, I halved it and I still had more dressing than I needed. Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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1 large cucumber

2 tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons apply cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 tablespoon onion, grated

Slice the tomatoes, and pare the cucumbers with a regular knife and then slice (using a fluted knife if desired). Arrange the sliced cucumbers and tomatoes in a serving dish. Set aside.

To make the dressing, put the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and grated onion in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly and then pour the desired amount over the tomatoes and onions.

Extra dressing may be refrigerated and kept for several days.

My fluted cucumbers didn’t look like the ones in the old photo. Maybe they used a different type of knife.