Appetizers can be tricky for a kosher caterer. If I serve a meat meal, appetizers are meat or parve. A dairy meal requires dairy or parve teasers. We don't serve fish and meat together. I have vegetarians and vegans. I have to balance the number of gluten-wrapped pieces with straight up vegetables. I need to offset expensive ingredients with those more affordable. All of that in a small offering that can be eaten in a couple of bites with a cocktail napkin. Enter cucumber cups.

These are easy to make and refreshing to eat. They make a nice starter on a hot summer day. I select long English cucumbers. Striping the skin is pedestrian but so what? Cutting the cucumber on an angle gives a nice slant when placing them on platters. I like to grate a little lemon zest onto the platter for color.

Do I really have a recipe for these; no. Cream cheese or Tofutti Cream Cheese, smoked trout or salmon, a bit of lemon juice and a sprig of dill. I just beat it in the mixer until light, scoop into a pastry bag and pipe. I usually need 50 - 200 of these when I make them. I'm going to try to breakdown the quantities of the ingredients for home use. Leftovers make a great schmear.

Ingredients:

• 1 English cucumber
• 2/3 cup cream cheese
• 1/3 cup smoked trout or smoked salmon, flaked
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Dill sprigs

Steps:

Remove stripes of skin with the "twist" bar tool. Slice the cucumber at a 45' angle. Slice again straight across about 3/8" at the narrow side. Slice again at an angle, then again straight. Repeat to use up the cucumber. You should have 12 - 16 disks.

Drain the angle side down on paper towels.

Flip the cucumber cup over and scoop out the seeds leaving a little at the bottom of the cup so there isn't a hole. Set back down on the paper towel on the straight cut side. Let rest until ready to fill, no more than a couple of hours before serving. Mix the filling ingredients in the mixer until light. Put into a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip. Pipe into the cucumber cup and garnish with dill.

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