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Tag Archives: fresh herbs

Cucumbers with Sour Cream

Cold Cucumber Salad with Dill and Sour Cream

The secret is marinating the cucumbers and then adding the sour cream just before serving Don’t make extra to have leftover. It’s quick to make and is not as creamy and crisp the next day.

PardonYourFrench introduced me to this recipe. The herbs I use are dill and chives. I also use less sugar than she does. Any combination of fresh herbs work well.

Ingredients

  • 1 large cucumber, partially peeled and sliced in half moons
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon good quality white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 small shallot, chopped fine
  • 1 tablespoon sliced chives
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon or more fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

  1. Place sliced cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt over them. Toss with your hands.
  2. Cover with a plate and allow to drain in the sink 30 minutes
  3. In a small bowl stir together sugar and vinegar. Add the pepper, shallot, chives and dill.
  4. Rinse cucumbers under cold water and drain well. Wrap them in a towel to absorb the water
  5. Place cucumbers in a bowl and toss in marinade. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  6. Just before serving mix in sour cream or creme fraiche and sea salt

Voila!

Tomato Tart

Tomato Tart

I made this delish dish last night for my hungry pumpkins and they loved it! It is a recipe adapted from the August issue of Cooking Light 2012.

2 packaged refrigerator pie dough

Cooking spray

5 oz fontina or provolone cheese, grated or cubed

4 oz mozzarella, grated or cubed

1 cup pitted kalmata olives, cut into 1/4’s

1 medium onion, peeled, halved and sliced thin

3-4 heirlom tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4 – 1/2 inch slices

6 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornmeal or ground up corn tortilla chips

2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 1/2 cups 2% milk

6 tablespoons Parmigianno-Reggiano, grated

6 large eggs, slightly beaten

6 tablespoons fresh basil, torn

2 large sprigs fresh thyme

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Preheat oven to 350

Roll dough to fit 2 9 inch deep tart pans or 8 inch square baking pans. Spray pans with cooking spray.

Place dough in pans.

Layer pans with fontina & mozzarella, olives & onions.

Arrange half of tomato slices

over onion.

In a small bowl combine flour, cornmeal and thyme. Sprinkle over tomatoes.

Top with remaining tomato slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Layer 1/2 of fresh basil and all the thyme sprigs.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, milk and Parmigiano. Pour into pans.

Bake 40 minutes or until set; let cool 10 minutes. Serve with remaining basil.