Bread and Butter Pickles

Okay these are so easy it's amazing that people don't pickle their own food all the time. I used what I had on hand, red wine vinegar but cider vinegar is also a good choice. The recipe can make pickle slices or spears. I did both.

Ingredients:

• 7 kirby cucumbers
• 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 2 teaspoons mustard seed
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Directions:

• Boil vinegar and sugar until sugar melts
• Add spices
• Add slices or spears to boiling mixture
• Boil 1-2 minutes
• Place pickles in glass jar
• Pour liquid over top making sure to fill jar
• Close jar and let sit over night in refrigerator
  

Enjoy!

Panzella

Panzella is Italian bread salad. It is great for a quick meal but even better if it can set for a few hours. Panzella can be made with fresh bread, but is much better with day old bread. Fresh bread can get too soggy if not eaten immediately. Panzella can be made with an assortment of ingredients but usually includes, bread, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Bread salad is dressed with an oil based dressing. Feel free to experiment with different flavors.

Ingredients:

• Cubed day old bread
• Sliced cucumbers
• Cubed deseeded tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• Sliced scallions
• Fresh basil
• Dried garlic
• Shredded lettuce
• Olive Oil
• Basalmic vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

• Make dressing by combining oil, vinegar, and spices
• Mix bread, lettuce, and veggies
• Pour dressing over salad
• Let marinate for 1/2 or longer

Enjoy!

Bulgar Cucumber Maki

Sushi is one of my favorite Japanese foods to make. This time I didn't have any short grain rice, so I tried it with bulgar. White rice and brown rice have a chewer texture but bulgar will certainly do the trick for a last minute meal. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi. If you have pickled ginger it's great too!

Ingredients:

• Nori (seaweed paper)
• Cucumber sticks
• Bulgar, rice, or some sort of granular grain
• Rice wine
• Sugar
• Soy sauce

Directions:

• Steam rice/bulgar
• Slice cucumbers or other veggies into thin strips
• Lay nori flat on bamboo mat, tin foil, wax paper or plastic wrap
• Mix sugar and rice vinegar together and heat until sugar is melted
• Stir sugar/vinegar into rice mixture
• Spread rice mixture on to nori about 1mm thick
• Spread soy sauce on 1-2 mm at the end of nori to help seal roll
  
• Lay cucumber strips in beginning 1/3 of rice
• Slowly and carfully role the nori covering the cucumber and continue to roll until sushi roll can be sealed
• Reshape if necessary and cut with a very sharp non serrated knife

You may have to wet the knife and remove any rice/bulgar residue between cuts. Any residue can cause tearing or uneven cutting of nori.

Serve with soy sauce and wasabi
Enjoy!