Cucumber Noodle Salad

This is a recipe from my grandma (my mom's mom). As with many things I post on this site, this was a food I did not like as a child but once I was an adult and learned to like cucumbers, I actually tried it and grew to love it. In general, pasta salad is not something I eat, but I think this one is good because it's got a light vinegary dressing and is great for the summer when it's full of cooling, fresh in-season cucumbers (if you grow them you probably have times where you don't know what to do with them all). I got on a kick last summer where I kept making this and I can't wait for later in the summer when the cucumbers are good again.

Notes:

• Choosing cucumbers
• This recipe works best with pickling cucumbers (they are small, have thin edible skin, and tend to have very small seeds or no seeds). If you can't get those, get English or Persian cucumbers, which have similar characteristics.
• If you can only find regular cucumbers, buy the skinniest ones you can find, peel them (the skin can be bitter and tough depending on the time of year), and cut them in half lengthwise before slicing.
• If the seeds in your cucumbers are big, scoop out the seeds and watery middle part with a spoon. I find it unpleasant to eat this salad with large cucumber seeds in it.
• Substitutions
• Pasta: Other similarly sized, dense, compact shapes of pasta that hold sauce well will work nicely; I have also made it with egg noodles. This salad can be made gluten free if you use gluten free pasta; I found some brown rice rotini that worked great. This salad can also be made vegan if you use pasta that does not contain egg.
• Vinegar: Instead of white vinegar I have used a number of other types (rice vinegar, champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar), all of which I thought were pretty good.
• Canola oil: any other neutral, mild tasting oil will work. I usually use olive oil.
• My grandma's version calls for 1 1/2 cups of sugar but I felt this was too sweet so I reduced it to 1 1/4. You can reduce it further if you like, but for the best flavor I think at least 1 cup is necessary.
• I usually add a large pinch of salt (the original recipe does not call for it).
• I'm working on a version with less water because a bunch of water comes out of the cucumbers the longer it sits and it dilutes the dressing.
• This salad makes great potluck/picnic food.

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RECIPE:

Cucumber Noodle Salad
Adapted from my grandma's recipe
Makes about 4 quarts, serves 12-16 people

1 box (16 oz/450 g) rotini noodles
8-10 pickling cucumbers (about 2 lb/900 g)
1 medium sweet onion (about 1/2 lb, 225 g)

Dressing:
1 1/4 cups (2/3 lb, about 300 g) sugar
1 cup (235 ml) water
3/4 cup (175 ml) white vinegar
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp dry parsley (or 3 tbsp fresh minced)

Cook rotini noodles as directed on package, until on the firm side of al dente. Slice cucumbers about 1/8 inch (~3 mm) thick -- if you have a mandoline slicer, it makes quick work of them. Finely chop or slice sweet onion. Place in a large bowl and set aside while you prepare the dressing.

Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour over noodles, cucumber, and onion and stir to coat. Tastes best when left to stand in refrigerator for several hours before eating.

Rosemary and Lemon Balm Cookies with Golden Raisins

My coworker and officemate Erin introduced me to these cookies. Her mother was visiting her and helping take care of Erin's baby, and her mom made a whole bunch of these cookies. I can't remember if she brought these cookies for a work potluck or if she brought some specifically for me (as she sometimes did with snacks, sweet friend that she is) but I absolutely loved it. When Erin gave me the recipe, it was a paper copy with her mom's handwriting on it, detailing changes she'd made.

To me, this is one of those foods that is more delicious than the sum of its parts. It's buttery and sweet (but not too sweet), with lots of interest from the herbal flavors, the texture of the raisins, the aroma of lemon and rosemary, and the slight saltiness that makes everything pop.

After she got a different job we had lunch dates every month or two since we still worked in the same general area of town, but today she moves somewhere much farther away. When we were hiring for her position, we narrowed it down to three people, and my bosses gave me the power to make the final decision -- the first time I had ever been involved in a hiring, so it was a big deal for me. I am so glad I picked her. She's a great worker, a great friend, and a wonderful human being. I love her and I will miss her dearly. I might even get to visit her again someday, since it's not too far away to drive there. I hear there is lots and lots of snow in the winter, and lots of beautiful nature all the time. Until then, I will think of her every time I make these cookies, ride my bike, or see a beautifully knit scarf.

Notes

• The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening, but I use all butter because I'm increasingly skeeved out by shortening and don't really like how it tastes. My friend's mother used half lard, which I liked. The original recipe called for flattening them with a fork like a peanut butter cookie, but I have found that using all butter they tend to spread a lot anyway and I like the finished texture better if you don't flatten the ball before baking it. If you do end up using half lard/shortening, flatten them with a fork because they tend to hold their shape better.
• Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) can be hard to find in grocery stores, but you may be able to find it at a farmer's market in early summer, or buy a plant in the spring or summer and grow some. If you know someone with a plant, it is also very easy to root a cutting (cut a stalk off and stick the bottom end in water, and it will grow roots) and then plant it. It's easy to grow and smells good but unfortunately it is also good at growing out of control and taking over entire planting areas so I'd recommend growing it in a food-safe container. I have also found dried lemon balm for sale by weight at a health supplement/natural pharmacy type store; use about 1/3 to 1/2 the amount if you're using dried.
• Dried rosemary would be kind of sad to use here but if you must, use ~1 1/2 tsp.
• If you can only find brown raisins, those will work instead of golden ones.

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RECIPE:

Rosemary and Lemon Balm Cookies with Golden Raisins
Makes about 40-48

1 cup (8 oz/2 sticks/225 g) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (320 g) sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary
2-3 tbsp minced fresh lemon balm leaves
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
3 1/2 cups (420 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (150 g, about 6 oz) golden raisins

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until fluffy and lightened in color slightly. Beat in eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Stir in rosemary, lemon balm, lemon zest, and lemon extract. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (except raisins) and gradually add to butter mixture in several additions. Stir in raisins. Roll into 1 1/4" (3 cm) balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges have browned slightly. Place pan on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes, then remove cookies directly onto the rack to cool completely.

Chip Dip

Posting a recipe in honor of my grandmother because it is her birthday today and this recipe is one that I know from her. I realize it sounds low-key gross just looking at the ingredient list, and maybe it is, but for me nostalgia wins on this one. This takes me straight back to family reunion cookouts in her backyard on Independence Day weekend. The fact that I still like it as an adult is enough. It is a mix of slightly sweet, salty, creamy, and tangy flavors.

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RECIPE:

Chip Dip

from my grandmother

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/3 to ½ cup tomato ketchup, to taste

1/3 to ½ cup red French dressing (she is partial to Western brand), to taste

Beat all ingredients in a medium bowl with electric mixer until thoroughly blended. Serve with potato chips.

Rhubarb Crumble Pie

It's been a while since I'd made any sort of pie, and I had a less than ideal strawberry rhubarb pie yesterday. I wanted to wash that memory away with a better pie. (I am still convinced strawberries should never go anywhere near a cooked pie -- why ruin perfectly good in-season strawberries? I'm really grossed out by cooked strawberries in general though. The texture is too much like rotten strawberries.)

I've made rhubarb pies a couple of times in the past, each one a little different. This time, I finally had my own home-grown rhubarb! However, the challenge this time was that I only had enough butter on hand for a single crust pie and the one I liked that I made before had two crusts, and I didn't want to run to the store, so I needed to look for something else. I stumbled upon Sarah Kate Gillingham's recipe for rhubarb crumble pie on The Kitchn and rather liked the idea of a crumb top. I share her opinion on pies with rhubarb -- you don't need to add anything crazy to them to make them taste good. Rhubarb is sour, yes, but also really quite nice on its own.

"Don't wait for strawberries. It's May and it's time to celebrate. Make pie now."

Notes and substitutions:

• I used rhubarb that I grew and cut from my own garden, and 1 3/4 lb ended up being 8-9 large stalks about 1 inch thick and ~15 inches long.
• I REALLY like the flavor of this pie crust. Normally I just replace any rolled pie dough in a recipe with Smitten Kitchen's because it's my go-to and I know I like it, but I am really glad I gave this one a try. I also liked how easy it was to work with and roll. Absolutely no problems with breaking or cracking.
• I chilled the pie shell in the freezer for about 20 minutes instead of in the fridge for 30 minutes because I hadn't realized that it needed to be chilled until I got to that step into the directions. Hooray not reading the recipe all the way through before starting!
• I used coconut oil instead of butter in the topping because I used all the butter I had for the crust. It worked fine and it tasted better than I expected it to. The texture probably would have been a little better and more varied if I'd used butter, but the coconut oil thankfully was still solid enough to do the job. If you go this route, try to get one that doesn't have a strong coconut taste, and work it into the mixture with a wooden spoon instead of your fingers because the heat from your hands is enough to melt it completely. It may work even better if you chilled the coconut oil in the fridge or freezer first (I did not have that foresight).
• It ended up pretty juicy on the inside, but the bottom crust was cooked and not soggy on the outside. Next time I will not mix together the filling ingredients until immediately before putting it in the shell and see if that helps. I also might have measured the corn starch incorrectly and ended up with too little, so make sure you measure it accurately. It definitely got hot enough in the oven to activate the corn starch because the filling did thicken some and didn't taste like uncooked cornstarch.

Verdict: I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this and I'd make it again. If I made it again I might try to sprinkle in some vanilla and cardamom next time to see what happens because I love how it tastes with rhubarb.

RECIPE: Rhubarb Crumble Pie