Two quick pickled cucumber recipes, perfect for the summer

Sesame Spicy Cucumbers

Today is officially the first day of summer, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.  And it's super HOT! We've had a heat wave in Southeast Tennessee since last week, but the last two nights have been surprisingly cool, in the low 60s. The days are sunny and the mercury goes right back up to the 90s. Hard to keep up with the changing weather forecast, but we'll take the cool temperatures any time.

Our gracious neighbors have shared their harvests from their bountiful garden. We've received cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, yellow squash, bok choy, and broccoli. 

Over the years, I have posted some easy to make recipes that are great for summertime potlucks or alfresco dining. The most requested recipes are sesame noodles, avocado and roasted corn guacamole and blackeye pea salsa (links below.) And what would summer be without a refreshing mojito? 

These two quick pickled cucumber recipes are pickled Asian style, using the milder rice vinegar. You can get most of the Asian ingredients from your local Walmart. Here are the recipes:

Asian-style pickled cucumbers

4 cucumbers
2 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced

1 cup rice vinegar
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp Kosher salt
½ cup water

Heat vinegar, sugar, salt and water in a small pot until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. 

Slice off about 1 inch from the rounded ends of cucumbers. Rub cut ends with sliced-off pieces to bring up the sap. Quarter lengthwise, then remove soft centers. Cut crosswise into pieces, about 3 or 4 inches long. Wash and pat dry.

Place the cucumbers and jalapeno peppers in a jar. Pour pickling liquid into the jar until the vegetables are submerged. Seal the jar with a lid and refrigerate. It's good after a few hours, but the best flavor is after a day or two. Keeps in the refrigerator for a month.

 

This following recipe - Ma La cucumber or Sesame Spicy Cucumbers - is from Easy Home Cooking, a Chinese cookbook I bought in Hong Kong years ago. I made it for the first time last month; it was so good I've made it a few more times. It's now our favorite pickled cucumber recipe.

Ma La cucumbers (麻辣黃瓜)

8 small cucumbers 
1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp garlic oil
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp each salt, sugar, doubanjang* (豆瓣醬)

dash of sesame oil

Cut cucumbers into wedges and into thirds. Add 1 tsp salt and let it sit in the fridge for 1 hour. Wash lightly and pat dry.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and add the cucumber. Let it sit for at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: 

* LeeKumKee brand is very popular. If you cannot find doubanjang (豆瓣醬), you can substitute with crushed pepper or chili oil.

Did you make it? Let us know how it turned out via the comments. Thanks! 

Bon appetit, stay cool, and have a great summer! 

This post is shared on Image-in-ing and My Corner of the World.

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Succotash, a new Cajun restaurant in town

Did you know Succotash is a Native American staple consisting primarily of corn and lima beans? It was probably one of the dishes served on the "first" Thanksgiving dinner in Pylmouth, Massachusetts. There is a Cajun restaurant by that name in our neighborhood. It opened in the summer of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic! 

Over the past 15 years, we've seen so many restaurants come and go at this locale we thought for sure the location was jinxed.  Along came Succotash. Not only did the owner do a fabulous job on the outside but also on the inside, making it look inviting and fun, with a New Orleans vibe.

We came here twice last year; the first time it was closed (Monday) and the second time, it was closing (Sunday). We finally made it a week ago. We had gator bites (tasted like chicken, in case you ask) and it was amazing. 

The bourbon blackened shrimp with shells on may looked charred, but they were tender and packed with flavor; the side of fried pickled okra perfect!

Po'boy with fried catfish; the catfish a tad skimpy, but the jambalaya was excellent! 

Overall, the food was good and spicy, which we love, but we also find it rather salty. Succotash serves up a fabulous New Orleans style meal, a nice option for the marina and neighboring small towns. We wish them luck and look forward to trying more dishes on their menu.

Succotash wasn't on the menu, but it was the first dish owner Chef Kenneth Richardson made when he was 8 years old. You can read more about him in the Chattanooga Times. Check Succotash's hours before you go. If you're looking for a recipe for succotash and its history, you can find one here.

Bon Appetit!

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Sichuan Eggplant or Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce (鱼香茄子)

Updated: 9/8/23

If I remember correctly, Szechuan or Sichuan cuisine didn't appear in Chinese restaurants in the U.S. until the 80s. Before that, chop suey and Polynesian-style Chinese restaurants (remember Pu-pu platters and drinks called Zombie and Mai Tai?) were popular. Then came Joyce Chen, who single handedly changed the landscape of Chinese cuisine, elevating it to a more gourmet level. 

For those who don't know, Joyce Chen is the Julia Child of Chinese cooking. She owned several Chinese restaurants in Cambridge, taught Chinese cooking, and had a show on PBS. In fact, she shared the same set as Julia Child's The French Chef in the studio of WGBH, Boston's local public TV station. Joyce Chen introduced not only Americans but also Chinese to Northern Chinese (aka Mandarin) cuisine. My first experience eating Peking Duck and Moo Shu dishes served with pancakes was at Joyce Chen, a restaurant I also worked during my college years. I absolutely loved the dumplings (or Peking ravioli) and the hot and sour soup. Competitors took notice. Soon, other Asian cuisines appeared on the horizon. There were Hunan and Szechuan, followed by Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian, and in the last dozen years Malaysian and now, Korean.

If you've been to a Chinese buffet, chances are you've had Szechuan food. Most dishes are cooked in a brown sauce, packed with spices or hot chili peppers. Kung Pao chicken, Mapo Tofu and Sichuan eggplant (also called Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce) are some popular Szechuan dishes.

We love spicy food, and Sichuan eggplant is one of our favorite Chinese dishes. I've made it a couple of times this week with the eggplants I picked from the garden. Previously I used the pack of seasonings made by the iconic Chinese brand Lee Kum Kee (李錦記). Later, I found and tweaked an easy recipe with ingredients I normally have in my pantry. Here's the updated version. These days you can find most Asian ingredients in the local supermarkets (Walmart, Publix, Kroger, to name a few). Enjoy!

Japanese eggplants

Sichuan Eggplant or Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce (鱼香茄子)
[Print Recipe]
Serves 4

Ingredients
3 Japanese eggplants

8 oz ground pork (or pork tenderloin, cut into thin slices)
dash of sugar
½ tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp Sesame oil
2 Tbsp water

3 cloves garlic, minced
1” piece of ginger, thinly sliced
2 green onions, cut into thirds

2 Tbsp chili bean paste 
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
¼ cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp Sesame oil
2 Tbsp Canola oil

Instructions
1. Cut the eggplants on an angle into 1½ " wedges. Place the eggplant pieces in a large bowl. Add cold water to cover and stir in ½ Tbsp salt. Weight the eggplant pieces with a plate to keep them submerged. Soak for 15 minutes, drain and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Marinate the pork with sugar, cornstarch, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, and 2 Tbsp water.

3. Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, add chili bean sauce, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Set aside.

4.  Heat your wok over medium-high heat. Dry fry the eggplant for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp sesame oil around the perimeter of the wok. Stir fry for 2 more minutes, then sprinkle 2 Tbsp water. After 5 minutes, sprinkle another 2 Tbsp water, and stir fry until the eggplant is soft. Set it aside.

5. To a hot clean wok or saucepan, add 2 Tbsp Canola oil. Add garlic, ginger and the white part of the green onions. When fragrant, about 2 minutes, stir in pork. Cook until the meat turns opaque, about 5 minutes. Add the bean sauce and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil. Stir in the eggplant, lower the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the eggplant is just tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Uncover, and stir in the remaining green onions. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with white rice.

Cook's Note: Soaking the eggplant in salt water helps reduce bitterness, and also helps to reduce oil absorption.

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Picking chestnuts in the fall at Solomons Island, Maryland

Updated: 10/10/2023

We got 50 lbs of chestnuts from our gracious neighbors! Brought back memories of this post ... and yes, it's time to make some glazed chestnuts again. Here's the original post:

When we bought our boat in Fort Lauderdale, we chose Newport, Rhode Island as our hailing port, thinking we will spend our summers in the sailing capital. 

Little did we know. 

Twice we cruised north from Florida, and both times got only as far as the Chesapeake Bay. There was so much to explore along the Eastern Seaboard that by the time we got to the Chesapeake Bay, summer would be almost over. Although fall is gorgeous up here, the cooler temperatures is a signal that it's time to head south to warmer climes.

One September found Mai Thai docked at Solomons Island, Maryland. Located on the Patuxent River, this neat little place is a cruiser’s haven, abound with restaurants, marinas, boatyards, and marine stores. We were walking the marina neighborhood one morning when my visiting sister-in-law spied something spiky lying around two mighty tall trees. Her curiosity piqued, she inspected one and guessed it to be a chestnut. This was before Google, but a search on the internet confirmed she was right. SIL dedicated the next few mornings to picking those chestnuts, returning with paper bags full of them goodies. We dubbed her the bag lady and joked that she was taking food away from the squirrels :-)

What were we going to do with all these chestnuts?

Chestnuts, in and out of their burs

Glazed chestnuts danced in our minds. 

Every time our cousins visit from Paris, they always bring us gifts of dark chocolate and marrons glacé (candied chestnut confection, usually available around the Christmas holidays). We got a production line going in Mai Thai's tiny little galley. We donned gloves to remove the chestnuts from their prickly husks or burs.

Washed, ready to be peeled

Next, we boiled and peeled them, then glazed them with sugar, and spiked some with a hint of Cognac. Voilà, we got marrons glacé! Not bad for our first try at making a candied confection. We were quite pleased with the results.

Glazing the chestnuts

Ta da! Les marron glacé, our candied chestnut confection

Crabbing is a popular activity

Blue crabs. Yum!

A pair of swans visited Mai Thai daily

lovely sunsets viewed from aboard Mai Thai

Solomons Island is a quick getaway from Washington, D.C. and Annapolis; both are 1.5 hours away. We are so glad we took the time to "smell the roses" and got the opportunity to discover so many lovely small towns along the East coast. We learned a lot about the Chesapeake Bay heritage and culture. The yummy blue crabs, the amazing sunrises and sunsets, and the abundance of wildlife beckoned us to return a couple years later.

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