This is a recipe adapted from one we found on cooks.com…  Oddly enough, though I could find red and yellow peppers in the market, I could not find any green ones.  So I bought a yellow one with lots of green on it, and used the green part.  (If you’re interested in some pepper-growing tips, check out my friend Hatsy’s column here.)

1 cup peeled, seeded & chopped cucumber (about 1 regular to large one)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped red pepper (1.5 normal or 1 large)

1 cup chopped green pepper (ditto)

1 Tbs pickling salt (kosher salt fine, as is any with largish crystals)

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup white wine vinegar

2 tsp dry mustard (you may substitute 1 Tbl. prepared mustard.  I did.)

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger root (note, the wonderful micro-planer does not work well with ginger root)

1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1/8 tsp cayenne (+/- depending on your taste for hotness)

1 clove garlic minced.

Don’t care for all that chopping?  Try putting the cukes, onion and peppers in the food processor and pulsing, but be careful not to overdo it.  Chopping by hand truly is preferred in this case (be sure your chopping knife is sharp – that pepper skin can be pretty tough).  The mandolin, pictured above, is lots of fun to use and does a quick, neat job.

Put cukes, onion and peppers in a colander and sprinkle with the salt, tossing lightly to mix.  Let the colander stand over a bowl for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every now and then.  Don’t skimp on the time – these veggies will throw off about a cup of liquid.

Place salted vegetables in a 1.5 quart casserole and add all the remaining ingredients.  Mix well and simmer for 10-20 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly.  Stir now and then to prevent sticking.

Put your relish into a sterilized 1-pint jar, cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.  You can keep the relish in the fridge for a month.  These quantities will make only a 1-pint jar, or even a little less, and believe me, it will not last a month.  It is too good.