Cucumber Cups With Horseradish Food

SHRIMP AND CUCUMBER SALAD WITH HORSERADISH MAYO

Steps:

• Whisk mayonnaise, 1/4 cup horseradish, and vinegar in a small bowl to blend. Season horseradish mayonnaise to taste with salt, pepper, and more horseradish, if desired. Fold in tarragon.
• line a baking sheet with paper towels. Combine dill, next 3 ingredients, and 3 tablespoons salt in a large wide pot. Squeeze juice from lemon halves into pot; add lemon halves. Add 3 quarts water and bring to a boil. reduce heat to medium; simmer poaching liquid for 10 minutes.
• Working in batches, place shrimp in a sieve and poach, shaking sieve occasionally, until shrimp just begin to curl and turn opaque, 15-20 seconds. Transfer to prepared sheet; let cool.
• Combine cucumber, shrimp, and 1/4 cup horseradish mayonnaise in a medium bowl; fold to coat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more horseradish, if desired. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill shrimp and remaining mayonnaise separately.

CUCUMBER CUPS WITH DILL CREAM AND SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Trim ends from cucumbers and cut crosswise into 24 (3/4-inch-thick) rounds. Scoop a 1/2-inch-deep depression from one side of each round with a small melon-baller, forming little cups. Drain cucumbers, cup sides down, on paper towels for 15 minutes.
• Beat cream cheese, chopped dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper together in a bowl. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon cheese mixture into each cucumber cup. Top each cup with 1 salmon strip and 1 dill sprig.

CUCUMBER-HORSERADISH BITES

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except crackers until well blended; cover.
• Refrigerate at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.
• Spoon about 1 tsp. of the cucumber mixture onto each cracker just before serving.

SHRIMP STUFFED CUCUMBER CUPS

Steps:

• Peel the length of each cucumber to form alternating stripes of unpeeled and peeled. Cut the cucumbers into 12 (3/4-inch) pieces. Scoop out the center using a teaspoon or a melon baller, leaving the bottom and sides intact to form a cup. (Reserve the centers for the Round 2 Recipe Chicken Tacos with Cucumber Salsa.) Turn them upside down onto a towel and let them drain while you make the filling.
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook until bright pink, about 3 to 4 minutes. Strain and rinse in cold water. Remove the shells and discard. (Reserve 12 shrimp for the Round 2 Recipe Shrimp and Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Bacon Dressing.)
• Chop the shrimp into small pieces and put them into a bowl. Add the horseradish, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, half the can of tomatoes (reserve the remaining half for the Round 2 Recipe Chicken Tacos with Cucumber Salsa) and 1 tablespoon of parsley. Evenly divide the shrimp mixture between the cucumber cups. Arrange them on a serving platter and garnish with remaining parsley.

CUCUMBER CUPS

Steps:

• Peel the cucumbers and slice length wise into 1¼ inch pieces.
• Using a melon baller, carve out the seeds to create a vessel, making sure to leave the bottom intact.
• Using a piping bag or a small spoon, fill each one with hummus (about 1 teaspoons each).
• Sprinkle with paprika and finely chopped parsley.

CUCUMBER CUPS WITH HORSERADISH

Steps:

• Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and horseradish; chill at least 30 minutes.
• Score the cucumber lengthwise with the tines of a fork.
• Cut the cucumber crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, making 18.
• Using a melon baller or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop out a small hollow on the straight side.
• Do not cut all the way through.
• Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a fluted tip. Pipe the cheese mixture into the cucumber cups.
• (Use a small spoon if a pastry bag is not available.)
• Garnish the tops of the cups with parsley or dill sprigs.

EASY HOMEMADE CUCUMBER RELISH

Steps:

• Place chopped cucumbers and 1/4 cup salt in a colander over a bowl and toss to combine. Cover, refrigerate and allow to drain overnight. You will have a large amount of water in the bowl the next morning.
• Drain and rinse cucumbers in ice cold water, filling the bowl. Drain well; this helps to remove the excess salt.
• Chop peppers and onions. Add to cucumbers.
• In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, horseradish, celery seed and mustard seed. Let sit at room temperature until sugar dissolves. Add to cucumber mixture and then add enough vinegar to cover.
• Bottle in your favorite jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks, freeze, or give as gifts to friends.

CUCUMBER HORSERADISH SAUCE

Steps:

• In a bowl whisk together the cucumber, the sour cream, the horseradish, the vinegar, the minced tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste and chill the sauce, covered, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Transfer the sauce to a serving dish and garnish it with the tarragon sprig.