Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Smoked Salmon Tartare on Cucumber Rounds Featured on IVillage's 10 Easy & Elegant Dinner-Party Recipes for Non-Cooks

Smoked Salmon Tartare on Cucumber Rounds
My Carolina Kitchen’s Smoked Salmon Tartare on Cucumber Rounds was featured recently on IVillage’s

10 Easy and Elegant Dinner-Party Recipes for Non-Cooks
Even if you have no confidence in the kitchen, you can pull off these easy appetizers, entrees and desserts and impress your guests. 

Link to the IVillage article here. You may remember the smoked salmon tartare from my post here. There were two versions, one with smoked salmon, and the other was a combination of smoked salmon and cooked salmon shown below. The smoked salmon tartare is more upscale and a little fancier, where the second version using two kinds of salmon is more like its bistro country cousin.

Salmon spread on cucumber rounds
I’ve been intrigued lately by how often I see cucumbers used in place of crackers or bread in appetizer recipes. By the way, the cucumbers that I’ve used are a hothouse variety, not the big fat ones with all of the seeds that you associate with summer gardens. The hothouse or European cucumbers are thin, almost seedless, and advertised as burp less. They are available year-around and I use them quite often in salads and appetizers.

Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa’s cookbook Back to Basics features sliced hothouse cucumbers with spicy salami as one of her “10 no-cook things to serve with drinks.” I’ve served her cucumbers and sausage numerous times at our house for dinner parties as an appetizer accompanied with store bought cheese straws and they disappear fast, especially with the men.


Recently I was very impressed with cucumbers sliced on the diagonal topped with a very pretty lump crab salad garnished with a few sprigs of dill that I saw on Williams Sonoma’s blog Taste, here. By slicing the cucumbers on the diagonal, it produces a bigger appetizer that would be quite lovely for a first course and it makes a really an upscale presentation. Be sure to take a look at the photo here. I think you will be impressed too.

I’ve seen other very attractive and tasty toppings for cucumbers on the internet, ranging from Kalyn’s Kitchen cucumber appetizer bites with hummus, a shrimp cucumber appetizer from I’m an Organizing Junkie, and avocado tomato bites from What’s Cooking Italian Style. I can even imagine that old southern favorite, pimento cheese, atop a cucumber round would also be delicious.

Have you ever served cucumber slices as a base for a spread or salad and what do you think of the idea?

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This will be linked to The Comforts of Home - Tasty Tuesday. Tasty Tuesday is a brand new linky party. I hope you'll join me and the others at Penny's grand opening of Tasty Tuesday

25 comments:

  1. This looks delicious and simple enough for me to do. I have never had smoked salmon before...crazy I know, I'm sure it's amazing.

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  2. Yeah for the feature! They really do look absolutely wonderful and beautiful and perfect appetizers for any get together. I love how fresh they are with the cucumber texture against the smoked salmon

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  3. I eat with my eyes first..these are totally appetizing..and colorful.
    I think it's your trademark..:)

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  4. These look so good Sam! Thanks for the mention and linking back to my party. I am still working out the kinks. I have replied to your email.

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  5. Mmmmh, looks like the perfect recipe for Ash Wednesday, which is celebrated with fish around here!

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  6. They look very good Sam, especially with the little dill sprigs. I'd probably just eat the topping and return the cucumber slice for a refill :-)

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  7. Sam, salmon = my favorite food. These sound great!!!

    xo

    Sheila

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  8. Sam, these appetizers are exquisite! I love the salmon spread inside the cucumber rings and think I will make them for this weekend, since we are attending a dinner party over a friends house. They look divine! Then I will photograph them and post and link them back to you. Thanks for another elegant idea!

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  9. Ah, this looks delicious! I replaced the old IMac with a new IMac this morning. I've lost all my photos, etc.. I'll be taking the old one in to see what can be retrieved later this week.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  10. Congrats on the feature, these look gorgeous --- just perfect for a spring cocktail party!

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  11. These tartare look divine, Sam. I too like to use veggies instead of crackers to serve the dips these days..just to cut down some carbs.

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  12. These are so elegant, love that the base is cucumber, the pairing is perfect.

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  13. Congrats on the feature Sam! They are both very pretty, I think I'm more of a bistro girl:@) While we have cucumbers quite often, I've never subbed them for a cracker, sounds tasty though.

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  14. Gotta try these ideas...looks amazing.

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  15. Sam, These appetizers would be perfect for one of our wine tasting parties. I personally like the idea of the salami with the sliced cucumber acting as a stand in for crackers or bread rounds... It's a healthy way to keep the carb count down. Thanks and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

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  16. Mmmm. Love smoked salmon, bet this is good. Hope all is well with you, take car Diane

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  17. Absolutely gorgeous and tasty! Will try this soon!

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  18. Substituting cucumbers for cracker is a great way to cut back on calories. This is such a pretty appetizer, Sam. The salmon sounds delicious as does a bit of crab salad. What fun that your recipe was chosen for publication.

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  19. Congratulations on being featured, Sam! It is a beautiful and delicious appetizer. I love those diagonally cut cucumbers too.

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  20. Perfect as I have several gluten intolerant friends -- and I love those hothouse cukes!

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  21. Love your cucumber apps. I too have used Ina's cucumber, salami idea. Great ideas here and congrats on being featured.

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  22. Congratulations Sam, that is terrific that the recipe was featured. I don't think we use cucumbers often enough except for in a salad. Karen

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  23. SAM... tus BOCADITOS han tenido tanta aceptaciĂłn que con tu permiso los he puesto en mi blog. Espero que te gusten.
    UN FUERTE ABRAZO y MIL GRACIAS !!! :)))
    Conxita

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  24. Dear Sam, These are so beautiful to grace a dinner party. Blessings dear. Catherine xo

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