Real Vermont Cooking

Cucumbers are such a great summer food. Radishes and scallions add some bite to this dish

Ingredients
2 cucumbers
4 radishes, thinly sliced
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
4 teaspoons seasoned vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon black and red pepper mix

Directions
Cut the cucumbers into quarters and remove the seeds. Cut the quarters into 1/2 inch thick slices.
Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl and keep cool until ready to serve.

Baked beans started off as a stew made by sailors who were inspired by similar stews found in France. Just about every region in America has their own twist on this dish. This one, of course, uses maple syrup.

Ingredients
2 lbs. dried navy beans
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 lb. bacon (the thicker the better!), cut into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 cups boiling water

Directions
Let your beans soak overnight, then boil them until soft. Drain and rinse.
Preheat your oven to about 350.
Line the bottom of a casserole dish with about half the bacon, layer the onion pieces on top of the bacon and then the beans on top of the onion.
Mix together all of the remaining ingredients, except the bacon and dump those on beans. You may need to add a bit more water to cover everything depending on the size of your pot. Now put the remaining bacon on top and bake for 5 hours or so. If too much liquid is being burned off, add in more boiling water and maple syrup.