This week we have a really fun little appetizer that you can make in a few minutes. And it’s a great way to trick your kids into cooking!
These are Cucumber Rings!
From Michigan Consolidated Gas Holiday Cookbook, 1970
Tested Recipe!
[cooked-sharing]
Combine all ingredients except cucumber. Scoop out inside of cucumber with apple corer. Pack with cheese mixture. Wrap in wax paper (or plastic wrap): chill thoroughly for 2-3 hours. Slice 1/4 inch thick to serve.
Yield: 24 slices
Ingredients
Directions
Combine all ingredients except cucumber. Scoop out inside of cucumber with apple corer. Pack with cheese mixture. Wrap in wax paper (or plastic wrap): chill thoroughly for 2-3 hours. Slice 1/4 inch thick to serve.
Yield: 24 slices
Notes
This recipe is from the Michigan Consolidated Gas Holiday Cookbook that was published in 1970. In addition to many cookie and other holiday dessert recipes, it also has a ton of appetizer recipes. I was drawn to this one because…well…I love the mid-century recipes that fill stuff with other stuff and then slice to serve. You know, stuffed cantaloupe, stuffed celery, stuffed pickles, stuffed tomatoes. To a lesser extent, stuffed mushrooms, since you usually cook those. The list is actually quite long. But this one also seemed a little bit less on the insane end, so it was a good recipe to make for a party that wasn’t full of hard-core mid-century recipe testers.
Also, thank you to my friend Jill who made this recipe for me!!! Man, I have the best friends.
“How are they? Pretty tame?”
“Actually, these are really good. Very refreshing.”
The Verdict: Refreshing
From The Tasting Notes –
These were fun little nibbles that were easy to make and were refreshing to eat. We were so excited that we cut ours without even chilling them, and they were a bit mooshy, so you should probably follow the instructions and chill well before serving. The cream cheese filling had a good amount of flavor, and it was complimentary to the cucumber. You could probably add whatever fun thing you want and it would be delicious, like dill, hot sauce, etc. The lemon juice was a particularly nice addition. These were enjoyed by everyone (Even Tom, who doesn’t care for cucumbers.) and they went well with drinks. Alex in particular scarfed a large number of them, but that kid eats plain cream cheese on crackers, so this was right up her alley.
This sounds good! It sounds similar to cucumber sandwiches without the bread. This would be a great “refreshing” party food!
Ok, I’m spilling MY secret Cucumber Wheels recipe…slice cucumber thin. Mix 50/50 Philadelphia regular cream cheese and whole fat sour cream with chives, salt, pepper and a squidge of lemon juice. Put a thin layer of this mixture on a flexible tortilla (your choice of flour but it should be a nice thin tortilla) then put down a single layer of cucumber slices. Tightly roll and secure with toothpicks. Trim ends, eat the ends; no one wants the ugly bits anyway. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to overnight.
People love these. VERY similar to today’s recipe with a slightly fancier look and no mayo.
Did you slice the cucumbers lengthwise before scooping out the seeds, or is this some super duper apple corer feat? Also, does anyone sell 3 oz. packages of cream cheese anymore? I’ve tried several recipes lately that call for 3 oz. packages, but I never see them in the store anymore, so I have to cut down an 8 oz package.
Yup, they were sliced in half lengthwise. We are not very skilled with the ole apple corer! 🙂 And Philadelphia used to sell the 3 oz packages when I was in high school, but I haven’t seen a 3 oz package in the store for years!
That sounds so good!!!! I can’t wait to try your recipe!
They were very much like cucumber sandwiches!!!
Thanks for the info!