How to use cucumbers, Hungarian style

Cucumber Salad
4 cucumbers sliced paper thin (peeled or not it's up to you)
Place in a bowl with 1 tsp. of sugar and 1/2 tsp. of salt and a sliced clove of garlic.
Refrigerate at least for 30 minutes, not longer than 45.
Season with 1 tsp. rice or white vinegar.

Top with a little sour cream or buttermilk and Paprika, that's the Hungarian part, serve.

We ate this in Hungary and liked it so much we bought a cook book so we could make it at home. Beware, the more fresh garlic you add the hotter it will get.

Grandma's Bottled Salsa

5 gallon bucket tomates blanched, peeled and cut up (cook 15-20 min and dip off liquid) add 1/4 t ground cloves to tomates and stir in before dipping liquid off.

Add to tomatoes:

15 jalapenos (1/2 seeded, chopped)

8-10 onions, chopped

10 bell peppers, chopped

4 cloves fresh garlic

3 cups white vinegar

2 t cumin

2 1/2 t chili powder

2 T salt

1 t black pepper

Cook for about 1 hour, bottle and seal.

For additional thickness I add tomato paste. I also add cilantro just before bottling to add an extra bit of flavor.

Toby's Salsa

28oz petite diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes diced

1 onion, chopped

Hot peppers, chopped (to reduce heat take out seeds)

Nature's Seasonings to taste

chop and mix all ingredients

This is my friend's mom's recipe. This is a great basic recipe that you can easily adjust for your family. I add bell peppers for their sweetness and I use additional spices such as Chili powder, Cumin and Cayenne pepper. I also use fresh garlic and cilantro to kick up the flavor a bit.

Mary's Food Storage Chili

Mix in 5qt pot

4-15oz can small red beans un-drained, or any assortment of beans, pinto, kidney or any other of you choice.

2-15oz cans of stewed tomatoes, whole, diced or flavored such as Italian style, or Mexican style (I used 1 can Mexican and 1 can diced chilies most of the time I use my own bottled tomatoes if I have any).

2-cans tomato soup

2-4oz cans stems and pieces mushrooms for added fiber (optional)

2 teaspoons Chili powder, start with one then taste test and add the other if you want.

1/2 cup brown sugar (optional) my family likes the brown sugar flavor.

Salt and Pepper to taste (canned foods always have a lot of sodium in them).

You may also add Tabasco sauce to taste if you want it spicier

1 used 1/4 cup dried onion. Sometimes I add 1/2 cup chopped onion.

Brown, rinse and add:

1 lb ground beef (optional) I had some in my freezer you may also used canned chicken or turkey or nothing at all. I use canned ground beef sometimes, but it's not as good as the fresh.

I use canned beans and canned tomatoes in my food storage because it takes less cooking time if your cooking fuel is limited. I do also have dried beans in my storage to use if my cooking conditions are okay. you just never know what the circumstances are going to be.

I really like my chili from scratch better, but that might not always be possible. My boys took this recipe to college and made it for their roomates all the time.