Cucumber Cups Filled With Herbed Yogurt and Smoked Salmon

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 seedless cucumber, 14-16 inches
• 3 scallions, minced
• 1/3 cup minced fresh dill, plus
• dill sprigs (to garnish)
• 1/4 lb thinly sliced smoked salmon

Directions

1. 1

   Drain the yogurt in a fine sieve set over a bowl, its surface covered with plastic wrap, chilled, overnight.

2. 2

   Cut the cucumber crosswise into sixteen 3/4-inch pieces and with a melon-ball cutter scoop out the centers, forming 1/4-inch-thick cups.

3. 3

   Sprinkle the cucumber cups with salt and let them drain, inverted, on paper towels for 10 minutes. In a bowl combine well the yogurt, the scallions, the minced dill, salt and pepper to taste.

4. 4

   Pat the cucumber cups dry gently and divide the yogurt mixture among them.

5. 5

   Cut the salmon into eight 6- by 1/2-inch strips, halve the strips diagonally, and roll them up, beginning with the pointed ends and turning the edges slightly, to form rose shapes.

6. 6

   Arrange the salmon roses and the dill sprigs decoratively on the yogurt mixture. The filled cucumber cups may be made 1 hour in advance and kept covered and chilled.