Bread and butter cucumbers

These are still really in testing phase, I don't think I have yet found the *perfect* bread and butter cucumber recipe but I have made a few batches and arrived at one which I think is quite yummy, and that I would be happy to give away to a friend. I started out with a couple of recipes from the web - one that was too tart, and one that was WAY too salty. Once I realised that their methods were basically the same, I threw them out and have adjusted the quantities to better reflect my tastes.

Bread and Butter Cucumbers

6 small or 3 large cucumbers
1 or 2 small spring onions
2 tsps salt
1 tsp mustard seed
3 cups sugar
2 cups vinegar

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and mustard seed and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 2-3 mins on a gentle heat. Cool slightly.

Slice the cucumbers and onions finely. Arrange them in sterilised jars. Pack them fairly tightly.

Fill the jars with the warm vinegar syrup. Put the lids on, let cool, and then refrigerate. Leave until the cucumbers have changed colour - usually a few days. I find that it is usually a week or two before the flavours are really mellowed together, but you can eat them before then if you just can't wait!

Creamed Corn

I love creamed corn, especially on toast - one of my fav comfort foods. So, when I found out corn was really really cheap at the local market I bought a heap and cooked up a pot of it! This is a really easy recipe and though you can make it in smaller batches I usually try to make larger ones because it freezes well. It can also be used as a basis for corn chowder, or other soups, as well.

There are lots of recipes for this, some with actual cream in them - but I much prefer this method. It keeps the flavour of the corn better IMO. I'm guessing you could veganise it with a non-dairy milk, though that might alter the taste a little. The recipe has a wee bit of sugar in it - it helps with breaking down the starch while cooking.

Creamed Corn

6 cups corn cut from the cob
1&1/2 cups milk
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs cornflour

Puree 4 or 5 cups of corn in a food processor or blender. The more corn you leave out the more "bits' of corn will be in at the end so just adjust the quantities of pureed vs whole to your liking.

Place pureed corn, the remaining corn, in a pan with the cornflour, milk and sugar. Stir to combine.

Heat over a gentle heat till the corn is soft and has thickened. Stir occassionally to make sure it doesn't catch and burn on the bottom.

Serve with toast or as a side dish. Cool if you wish to freeze or store for later use.