A “PLEASE HELP ME!” from Snohomish reader Connie J. Webster sent Forum cooks racing to their recipe boxes, bags and files for a cuke concoction to match the one she described in a recent SOS: “The year of 1968, when my children were small,” she said, “I always made thin, sliced cucumbers put in a bowl with vinegar and ??? I let them soak, then we ate them as finger food. I can’t, for the life of me, remember what went with the vinegar.
“Please give me any help you can – I want to make these for my nine grandchildren.”
Put on your bibs, Connie and kids, because we’re off and running, starting with this letter from Camano Island cook Marj’ Einarsen, who writes, “I have used the following recipe I received from my mother-in-law, Agnes Einarsen of Camano Island, for over 50 years now. Remember to add sliced tomatoes when the season starts, as they add a lot to this recipe.”
Next up, Marty Hefty’ of Marysville shares her favorite version, mentioning, “The recipe Connie Webster asked about from 1968 is known by cooks of Norwegian descent as agurksalat – cucumber salad. Our youngest daughter was born in 1968. I prepared a Norwegian smorgasbord for her wedding reception a few years ago, and one of the items on the menu was agurksalat.”
And our third recipe today comes to us courtesy of Marysville cook Roberta Stevens. “My granddaughter and I just made the refrigerator pickles that Connie Webster of Snohomish needs,” she says. “These are great for a substitute salad, a vegetable or snack.”
1 cup salad oil
1/3 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
Sliced onions
Sliced cucumbers
Sliced ripe tomatoes (when in season)
In mixing bowl, combine oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, celery salt, cayenne and garlic; mix thoroughly, then pour over onions, cucumbers and, when in season, ripe tomatoes. Refrigerate until suppertime. Drain or serve with slotted spoon.
4 medium-size cucumbers, or 2 European-style cucumbers
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
Slice the cucumbers into paper-thin slices, 1/16-inch thick. Place in glass bowl. In mixing bowl, combine the sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar and dill weed. Pour over the cucumbers and stir to coat well. Cover tightly and refrigerate from 2 to 24 hours. Makes 6 servings.
2 pounds pickling cucumbers, sliced 1/8 -inch thick
3 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 red or Spanish onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1tablespoon mustard seed
1 tablespoon celery seed
3 cloves garlic, halved and bruised
Put sliced cucumbers in a large bowl, about a cup at a time, and lightly sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt on each layer (for a total of 1 teaspoon). Add the onions, then gently toss, cover with plastic wrap and let set for 1 hour at room temperature. Drain off any liquid that has accumulated in bowl and set aside.
Make the brine by gently boiling remaining ingredients (including remaining 2 teaspoons salt) for about 2 minutes. Pour brine over cucumbers and onions. Refrigerate several hours before serving.
The next Forum will appear in Friday’s Time Out section.
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