Leslie Meredith's recipes

Slow-cooker baked beans

32 ounces of canned great northern beans or baked beans

Mustard, to taste

12 ounces bacon, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

½ cup onion, chopped

½ cup brown sugar (light or dark)

1/3 bottle barbecue sauce (your favorite brand)

What you're doing in this recipe is doctoring cans of beans and letting the flavors meld together in a slow-cooker for several hours.

Combine beans with other ingredients in a slow-cooker and set to cook for six to eight hours. Taste as the beans cook to adjust seasoning. Different beans and sauces will have varying levels of sugar, for instance. You want to balance the sweet, savory and tart flavors to taste.

Serves 6

Leslie Meredith

Cucumber Salad

2 English cucumbers

1 Vidalia onion

¼ cup good vinegar (I use chive blossom vinegar mixed with a little apple cider vinegar)

A sprinkle of sugar

¼ cup water

A bunch of fresh dill

Thinly slice the cucumber and onion and put in a bowl. Mix the vinegar, sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved and pour over the cucumber and onions. Stir to mix. Add in dill and stir gently to get the dill all through the salad. Refrigerate until ready to serve

Serves 4

Note: Don't use the standard, seeded cucumber for this recipe, as you would have to de-seed, salt and strain off the excess water. Go with the English or Persian type - the long thin ones that are practically seedless and much less watery. This can be made a day before and will retain its crunchiness.

Leslie Meredith