Today would be Julia Child’s 100 birthday! Like anyone who loves food (and who doesn’t) I adore Julia Child and can’t get enough of her recipes, stories, letters and TV shows. I’ve had to replace my complete collection of The French Chef as technology got a bit more sophisticated, and my 1st cookbook after it vanished with several other cherished possessions. I’m still waiting for my fantasy trip to see Julia’s kitchen completely restored down to the post-it notes in the Smithsonian Museum. In an age before Emeril made the Food Network a constant background noise in many homes, Julia Child was starring in The French Chef. Dan Aykroyd may have made her portrayal on SNL one of the funniest things we’ve ever seen but I still believe that no one can touch the real Julia, for charm, humor and just delightful entertainment. When her show first ran on television in the 1960’s one newspaper called her “television’s most reliable female discovery since Lassie.”
I promised a weekend dinner of some of Julia’s most famous classics to my guys since we’re all too busy running in different in directions tonight, but couldn’t resist trying just one recipe I’ve been meaning to take a shot at for years: from Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 1 –the recipe is CONCOMBRES AU BEURRE or Baked Cucumbers.
I know that sounds weird, and weirder still are our cucumbers, but I feel like Julia would appreciate the sense of adventure so here’s the story. Cucumbers have done reliably well in our garden until this year. The third time they were destroyed by bunnies, moles, squirrels, deer - take your pick- I was ready to just give up, but Sammy, who, bless his heart, would not eat a cucumber if it were a life and death moment, brought me two more plants. He proudly presented me with the last (not the finest) Home Depot had to offer, labeled quite mysteriously as heirloom cucumbers. Hmmm. I almost let the cucumbers die on the vine because I didn’t know what they were, but then curiosity ruled and I just had to see what in the world we had growing out there. They looked sort of like mini spaghetti squash, but cutting them open revealed the fresh scent of cucumber and the unmistakable seeds. Cookbook in hand, I reminded myself that Julia has never let me down. The finished dish was well… different, interesting and actually pretty tasty. But I never expected less - come on, it’s Julia Child. Happy Birthday Julia! Tarte Tatin this weekend!
Ingredients
2 cucumbers
2 Tbsp rice or white wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
1 Tbsp sliced green onion
2 Tbsp butter
½ tsp dried basil
1 Tbsp chopped parsley (optional)
Directions
Slice cucumbers in half and remove seeds with a spoon. Slice into 1/8 inch slices.
Toss cucumbers slices with vinegar, salt, and sugar and let rest for an hour. Drain and pat dry.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place cucumbers, green onion, butter and basil in a small baking dish.
Bake for about an hour stirring 2 or 3 times.
Serve warm with chopped parsley.
NOTE: There were several variations, one with reduced cream that sounded delicious, and another with a mornay sauce.
