It’s common knowledge that Aaron and I are both huge fans of cucumbers. Whether kirbys, english cucumbers, or gherkins come into our apartment, they typically end up being pickled. In fact, it’s a rare case when some of these cucumbers are spirited away and manage to bypass the boiling vats of vinegar and curing jars. This sandwich is the result of such an occasion.

After a recent trip to the farmer’s market, we scored some great kirbys, and a dozen farm-raised chicken eggs, among other delectable finds. In a moment of inspiration, I decided to throw these ingredients together with some labneh from Sahadis, a few sprigs of fresh dill from our terrace, a dash of salt and a generous shake of pepper onto a warm bagel – and voila, a lunch masterpiece -

Amped-up Cucumber Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 freshly baked bagel
at least a couple of generous tablespoons of labneh
2 hard boiled eggs sliced (see excellent steps to doing this flawlessly below)
1 cucumber sliced thinly
dill
salt
pepper

Stack and enjoy.

The Idiot Proof Way to Cook the Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

(courtesy of a 1964 edition of The Joy of Cooking – this version also has instructions on how to skin a squirrel; it’s serious stuff)

1. Place in a saucepan, preferably glass or enamel, unshelled eggs, and cover them with cold water.
2. Put the pan over medium heat and bring the water to boiling point  and let the water simmer.
3. Now watch your time, which will depend on how large and how cold your eggs are. Add 2 minutes to the time, if the eggs came right out of the refrigerator.
4. Allow about 15 minutes after you reduce the heat to a simmer.
5. When the time is up, plunge the finished hard-cooked eggs in cold water at once to arrest further cooking and to prevent the yolks from discoloring. Then peel and devour.