Stuffed Cucumbers

Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for this recipe as I had never heard of it before meeting Bill. This is another recipe that belonged to his mother, Alice. I do not remember how she arrived at it. I’m guessing she had a plethora of cucumbers and tomatoes in the garden one summer and this is the result.

I’ve adapted her recipe using instead of plain tomatoes, a couple of cans of diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano and then added garlic powder for more flavor.

Cut the ends off the cucumbers first; peel them.  Then scoop out the seeds.  I do this very carefully with a paring knife.  I indent with the knife in a circle around the seeds, insert the knife and sort of twirl it in my hand and pull the seeds out.  Do not cut through to the meat of the cucumber!  That will cause them to split when cooking.  Then let them soak in a bowl of salt water for at 30 minutes.

Make the tomato mixture in a large pan and let simmer for at least 10 minutes.  Prepare the ground beef however you like it.  I add chopped onions, garlic powder, a little basil and oregano and finish with salt and pepper.  Gently stuff the cucumbers with the meat and place in the tomato mixture.  Take whatever meat is left over after stuffing the cucumbers and make meatballs.  Drop them into the pan along with the cucumbers and tomato mixture.

Use a large pan or Dutch oven to allow enough room to turn them now and then as they simmer.  It takes close to an hour for the cucumbers to be fork tender ~ they will turn almost transparent.  You will see the difference in their appearance after simmering for about 45 minutes.

They are incredibly delicious!  

 Soaking in salt water 

 Stuffed and ready for the pot

 Simmering in tomatoes 

Stuffed Cucumbers

Ingredients:

3 or 4 cucumbers

2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

1 medium onion, diced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Peel cucumbers and scoop out seeds carefully.
They can be cut in half if they are large cucumbers.

Place in a large bowl of salt water and soak for 30 minutes.

Place tomatoes in dutch oven or large pan.

Add sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Simmer at least 10 minutes.

Prepare ground beef:

1 pound ground round beef

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper, or to taste

Drain cucumbers.

Stuff ground beef mixture into cucumbers carefully.

Do not force or it will break the cucumber.

Add the stuffed cucumbers to the tomato mixture.

Make remainder of meat into meatballs.

Drop into tomato mixture.

Cook cucumbers on medium-low heat, a slow simmer, for 45 minutes to one hour until they become almost transparent.

Stir the tomato mixture occasionally and rotate the cucumbers once or twice.

Serve in individual bowls with plenty of the tomato sauce and a meatball or 2.

ENJOY!!!

By the way ~

I will be joining Linda (“My Kind of Cooking”) on the radio, via telephone tomorrow morning, Friday, July 2^nd, during her cooking segment, “Fast Food Friday.” 

You can listen over the internet by clicking this link:  Passion Radio.  Click on the Listen Live button in the upper left hand corner of the website to connect.  We will be on around 8:20 a.m. mountain time, 9:20 central time. 

I hope you will be listening!