Category Archives: Summer
ffwd: crunchy ginger-pickled cucumbers
Is it Friday? Is it Tuesday? Is it Sunday? With the midweek holiday, the flow of the week and the feel of each day have been confusing. I worked a normal week with Wednesday off for Independence Day. On Tuesday, it felt like Saturday. On Wednesday, I was sure it was Saturday, so it was odd to go back to work with a one day break, when I had a list in my mind of what to do on Sunday. Back to work yesterday, I just didn’t know what day it was. All in all, it was fun to have the break to celebrate one of my favorite holidays!
This week’s pick for French Fridays with Dorie sounded like a good picnic or cookout dish: Crunchy Ginger Pickled Cucumbers. They were super simple to put together. First, chunks of cucumber are salted and then sit for half an hour to draw out some of their moisture. Then, after draining, the cucumber marinates in a gingery vinegar bath for a few hours (mine went overnight), giving it a quick pickle. Flecks of dried red pepper (I used some Korean chile I had on hand), give them a little fire. Chopped cilantro dresses them up right before serving.
These quick pickles looked promising, but I found them disappointing. Though Howard said the ginger flavor was strong, I mostly tasted the vinegar. I used rice wine vinegar and added sugar to mimic seasoned rice vinegar. I typically find this type of vinegar to have a mild flavor, but, in this dish, it tasted harsh to me. I’m not sure why. I make a ginger cole slaw where the vinegar-to-sugar ratio is 1:1. I like that combination. I’m thinking maybe I had a mental expectation that the end result would be sweeter.
These pickles will get eaten, but I’m not sure I would make them again. Though, I could find a new idea about how to change it up from one of the other Doristas who also made the same recipe this week. I’ll be checking out their links here. If you want the recipe, you’ll find it in Dorie Greenspan’s book Around My French Table.
Happy Friday!
ffwd: corn pancakes
True confessions! I haven’t been totally excited about most of June’s recipes for French Fridays with Dorie. When I reviewed the list, I was completely uninspired by June’s finale, Corn Pancakes. I’ll admit that I like, but do not love, corn. When I read the recipe and saw that it called for canned corn, my ambivalence dropped a notch. We are on the cusp of local corn season, after all, not mid-winter. However, I’m in this group for the long haul, so I felt compelled to play along.
I’ll be the first to admit that I very wrong about this one! Fresh corn from the south is available in stores, so I couldn’t do the canned corn. I wasn’t sure how much to substitute, but two ears, cooked, and then stripped of their kernels, yielded just under two cups, which seemed about the same as a one pound can. There weren’t many ingredients, just the corn, eggs, a bit of flour, and salt.
The batter was a snap to mix up in the blender.
Then, the pancakes cooked in hot oil for just a few minutes.
I got about 18 little silver-dollar pancakes. The first night, we each had a few to accompany burgers.
Even better were the leftovers, reheated and topped with a dollop of crème fraîche and a piece of smoked salmon, the way that Jean-Georges Vongerichten served these for Dorie.
In the end, I really liked these and would definitely make them again, more likely as an appetizer served the “Jean-Georges” way.
If you want to see what the other bloggers thought about their corn pancakes, follow the links posted under the Leave Your Link post for Corn Pancakes. We don’t publish the recipes, but consider getting your own copy of the book, Dorie Greenspan’s book Around My French Table.
A Plateful of Happiness 