For some reason this year, our small bed of cukes started putting out like a gigolo on Wisteria Lane. They’re too big for pickling, really, and we don’t know how to can anyway. So we had like a dozen of these gigantic cucumbers, and had grown tired of the various marinating recipes. Yes, they’re very good that way and in salads, but we stumbled upon a recipe for cooking them when we had about six of them left. So we thought, what the hell, we’d give it a try. And they were really delicious. They were the hit of the meal (which, by the way, included creamed corn from freshly shucked ears — ordinarily, *that *would have been the hit of the meal.)
I’m going to share the recipe here. It is not taken directly from any source, and so there are no copyright issues. I did, in fact, make a few alterations and will write the recipe in my own words, so this is ours. You are free to try them and share the recipe as you see fit.
Ingredients:
(4) large cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and sliced (about 3/8" slice, such as you would do for salads, etc. You can also leave the seeds in, if you like, but my wife doesn’t like them. Adjust quantity for size.)
(2) tablespoons of ordinary white vinegar (or any vinegar of your choice)
(1) generous tablespoon of sugar
(1) tablespoon of corn starch (a little more if you like a thicker sauce)
(1) chopped or diced onion (medium size)
(5) slices of premium bacon (NOT the new already cooked kind)
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Make a roux with the cornstarch and about a quarter cup of water. Fry the bacon in a 10" skillet until crispy. Remove bacon, and place on paper towel to dry out. Pour out all but a tablespoon or two of the grease. Reduce heat to medium if necessary. Add onions first, stir for a minute or two to caramelize them. Then add cucumbers, vinegar, sugar, and roux. Bump heat up to medium-high until roux begins to boil. Reduce heat to low, and cover. Stir occasionally, especially to make sure all cukes are coated with thickened sauce.
Cook until cukes are tender and translucent (much like cooked onions).
Remove from heat. Crumble bacon into bits, and sprinkle over contents of pan. Serve immediately (or keep warm until serving). Leftovers nuke well. Enjoy.