Paula Deen Cucumber Food

RED HOT CINNAMON CUCUMBER PICKLES

Steps:

• Peel and seed cucumbers if using overripe or large cukes. If using small pickling cucumbers, peel and cut into 1/4" slices.
• Mix the pickling lime with a 3 or 4 cups of water in a very large bowl and stir. Add the cucumbers and add more water to cover them. This should be done in a glass or ceramic bowl as the lime can pit or etch some surfaces. Let stand for 24 hours. It's not necessary to refrigerate or stir the cucumbers during this process, even though some of the lime will settle to the bottom of the pan.
• Drain the cucumbers and thoroughly rinse them to remove as much of the lime solution as possible.
• Cover the cucumbers again with cold water, adding some ice to it. Let stand for about 3 hours.
• Drain the cucumbers and rinse well again. All of the lime needs to be removed from the cucumbers. Alternatively, you can drain, rinse, and cover your cucumbers with fresh water every hour for a total of 3 hours of soaking time. OR, you can eliminate the ice and do this overnight in the refrigerator.
• In a large pot, mix 1 tsp. red food coloring (optional, you will get a beautiful red color from the candies alone if you don't want to use food coloring), 1 cup white vinegar, and 3 or 4 cups of water and stir. Add the cucumbers and add more water to cover them.
• Bring the water to a simmer (not a boil) and simmer for 2 hours. Watch to make sure the water does not evaporate so much that you risk burning the cucumbers.
• 4. 1 hour before the end of the simmer time, make the Red Hot Cinnamon syrup by mixing 2 cups white vinegar, 2 cups water, 7 cups white sugar, 1 T salt and the 2 packages of Red Hot cinnamon candies.
• 5. Drain the cucumbers, pour the Red Hot Cinnamon syrup over them, and let them stand overnight.
• The following morning, heat the cucumbers and syrup to a simmer. The pickles will be a beautiful red color and will have a translucent quality to them, characteristic of pickles made with pickling lime.
• Pack them into hot pint size canning jars that have been sterilized leaving 1/4 inch of head space in each jar. Include a stick of whole cinnamon in each jar if desired.
• Cap with sterilized canning lids and rings. Process the jars of cucumber rings for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

COLD CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Place cucumber slices in glass bowl. Sprinkle with salt and vinegar. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Pour off excess liquid and drain cukes in colander for about 30 minutes to allow complete drainage.
• Pat excess moisture off cucumbers with a paper towel. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, dill and pepper. Mix well. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

TRACIE'S COUSCOUS SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients with the olive oil and lime juice, to taste.

BENEDICTINE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Peel the cucumber, and remove the seeds.
• Place in a food processor and pulse about 5-6 times until minced. (I use my Pampered Chef handy chopper, chopping a few pieces at a time - about 15 chops).
• Transfer cucumber to a small mixing bowl.
• Chop onion in chopper or food processor, until finely minced. Add to cucumber.
• Add cream cheese, salt, food coloring and Tabasco, combining well.
• With a biscuit cutter, cut rounds out of bread slices.
• Spread a small amount of mayonnaise on bread rounds. Top with cucumber mixture, spreading to edges. Top with additional bread round.
• Garnish with parsley or other herbs as desired.