601604 Fri Mar 06 07:58:25 -0800 2009 59 31 Home Cooking 0 4479213 My CSA just deposited upon me two large American cucumbers, the seedy kind, not the slim European jobbies that I will eat plain happily. Can anyone suggest any recipes to make these overgrown giants more appealing and interesting? TIA---- Fri Mar 06 07:58:25 -0800 2009 137881 BerkshireTsarina 1 4479320 I guess I don't understand the problem since I prefer Amercian cucumbers to European jobbies. I mean, you are talking about the common cucumber, right? The kind found in a zillian salads and crudite plates. The kind every supermarket carries. The Chow ingrediant section has some good recipes linked and says "Serving Suggestions: Slice, chop, or grate cucumber and dress with yogurt and vinegar or lemon to make Indian raita, Turkish cacik, or Greek tzatziki. Slice, salt, and rinse firm cucumbers then sauté in butter and add chervil, dill, or tarragon. Use like citrus slices to garnish mixed drinks, lemonade, or sparkling water. Flavor Affinities: Buttermilk, chervil, dill, mint, salmon, scallions, tarragon, tomato, yogurt:" A Polish version is cucumbers with sour cream. Thinly slice and salt and let sit for about a half hour to draw out water. Mix with sour cream, a little vingegar and some dill. Some people add a little sugar too, but I prefer them without. I guess it is difficult for me to make a rec as I don't know what it is you don't like about regular cucumebers. I mean, you can just de-seed if you don't like that part and just use the outside. I sometimes dress with pickle juice. A cucumber wrapped in aluminum foil will last quite a while if you don't find an immediate use. Here is a Chow Digest article with ideas http://www.chow.com/home_cooking_digest/6169 Fri Mar 06 08:30:24 -0800 2009 4479213 10264 rworange 1 4479327 Scrape out the seeds if you want, slice into very thin rounds, marinate in rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of sugar. Let it sit for a little while then enjoy cold. Fri Mar 06 08:31:44 -0800 2009 4479213 217807 cheesecake17 2 4480632 I do something similar. Slice thin the long way so you have strips. Marinate in salt, sugar and vinegar. I'll try the pepper flakes next time. Fri Mar 06 14:23:00 -0800 2009 4479327 125577 mrsfury 3 4498628 Our recipe is a combo of MrSFURY AND Cheescake. you can also add some cooked shrimp. This is our go to dish for brunch. Thu Mar 12 12:59:25 -0700 2009 4480632 21396 normalheightsfoodie 2 4480738 Add lots of garlic, substitute sriracha for pepper flakes, and you've got my favorite chinese cucumber salad. That'll warm you up for sure. Fri Mar 06 14:56:54 -0800 2009 4479327 131105 Emmmily 2 4490552 I do the same, and add red onions sliced thin which I marinate in rice vinegar (to mellow) before mixing in the other ingredients. Some cilantro goes well if you have it. Tue Mar 10 07:59:59 -0700 2009 4479327 33755 NYchowcook 2 4511279 Yep, that's the only way I'll eat cucumbers. Mon Mar 16 18:29:32 -0700 2009 4479327 28323 MrsCheese 1 4479445 send them to me!! :-) I love love love cukes, and in fact prefer the "american" version over the European version. One of my favorite cuke salads is a mix of cuke, tomato, kalamata olives, red onion, capers - then cover with a olive oil/red wine vinaigrette and marinate for a few hours. I usually de-seed the cuke. I was also watching something on TV the other day where they cooked the cukes - I'll see if I can find a clip for you Fri Mar 06 09:04:26 -0800 2009 4479213 203338 chicaraleigh 2 4479494 On Top Chef Jamie braised them. Don't know the recipe. Fri Mar 06 09:17:04 -0800 2009 4479445 14495 viperlush 3 4480336 Wasn't that celery? In the Le Bernardin episode? Fri Mar 06 13:06:20 -0800 2009 4479494 95577 yamalam 4 4485657 Yup, got confused. But you can also braise cucumbers (right?). Sun Mar 08 18:46:29 -0700 2009 4480336 14495 viperlush 5 4486358 i have. they're pretty good, actually. especially with a little rice wine vinegar and toasted sesame oil. Mon Mar 09 02:39:06 -0700 2009 4485657 105717 alkapal 6 4509163 They are also lovely sauteed in butter. Mon Mar 16 09:15:05 -0700 2009 4486358 10985 MMRuth 1 4479478 Well, from the suggestions, I can see the problem. Those versions --- the raitas, the pickled cucumbers, cucumber soup, etc.--- sound like summer to me. And I'm here in Western MA, with snow up to you know where, and temps almost never climbing up above freezing, and I want WARM, not cold. The idea of wrapping 'em in foil is helpful, thanks, orange. I do that with celery, and it works pretty well. The idea of stuffing them with minced shrimp and steaming them (from your link), now that does sound intriguing. Fri Mar 06 09:12:55 -0800 2009 4479213 137881 BerkshireTsarina 2 4479489 you are right - i tend to pass on cukes in the winter - let me see if i can find that cooked cuke recipe for you.... Fri Mar 06 09:15:48 -0800 2009 4479478 203338 chicaraleigh 2 4479655 Ah, gotcha. Yeah,I've been cutting back on the salads in general and I live in the more temperate SF Bay Area. Even so I was thinking what kind of a CSA offers cukes at this time of year. Untried, but maybe you can get inspiration, here's the cucumber page with lots of hot recipes http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~bcohen/cucumbers/recipes/ Given my proclivity toward cucumbers in sour cream, the hot cucumbers in cream sauce sound good to me. Maybe salmon with cucumber sauce. Don't discount those cucumbers in sour cream. You could pair them with some hearty winter dish. I'll look thru my Polish cookbooks and see if there is anything there. We tend to turn them into pickles though. I think I got into a cucumber thing once and did one of my endless posts about cucumbers including cooked cucumbers so I'll look around for that. Glass jars also work well to keep cucumbers. So once cut, you could store it in a glass container,. Fri Mar 06 09:49:50 -0800 2009 4479478 10264 rworange 3 4508498 I'm a cuke in sour cream fan- I use it to top broiled fish, or throw it in a tortilla wrapped around a few grilled shrimp, even just as a side salad but I don't like too much of it, just a little. Mon Mar 16 03:59:41 -0700 2009 4479655 110426 Boccone Dolce 2 4480150 I've always like Julia Child's oh-so-simple method: peel, seed, cut into matchstick juilenne, saute until warm through in butter with S&P. Fri Mar 06 12:07:06 -0800 2009 4479478 50613 weezycom 3 4480168 I tried it, not a fan of the butter, but it wasn't bad. Just to buttery for me. but I know a lot of people like it. It is simple and admire the recipe. Fri Mar 06 12:13:13 -0800 2009 4480150 232829 kchurchill5 1 4479561 Surprised that you have a CSA in winter in the northeast - you are fortunate! I prefer the English ones too, because the skin is more digestible so I don't peel them. But I feel a little squeamish about them after once seeing someone on TV - I think Bette Midler - pick one up, examine it, and upon being told that it was the English kind, quip that it looked like David Niven! '-) Fri Mar 06 09:27:30 -0800 2009 4479213 159317 greygarious 2 4479723 It's not exactly a CSA, but that's the easiest way to refer to it. It's local and organic baskets, new venture, local. In more clement weather, local farms still have still things. Now we get some produce from organic farmers (supposed to be ongoing relationship) in North Carolina and FLA. Verdict not in yet, it'll be a fairer test when farms start growing stuff again. They also do local yogurts, cheese, meat, bread, and like that. I'm rooting for them, but the cucumbers don't help! Bette Midler certainly has a mouth on her! Fri Mar 06 10:06:40 -0800 2009 4479561 137881 BerkshireTsarina 3 4509202 Cucumbers are strictly a summer thing in my mind, too, so I'm curious to read some of the cooked dishes people are recommending. I'm a little confused, though. Several times you say "it's local" but are you saying that, this time of year, the produce you're getting is not local, but from North Caroline and FLA? Your local farm is doing a swap with a farm elsewhere as a way to make up for the inavailability of local produce in off-seasons? ~TDQ Mon Mar 16 09:24:10 -0700 2009 4479723 12005 The Dairy Queen 4 4509284 There are a few growers that grow them year round in green houses. I also just had some from my greenhouse. My friend has a great crop right now, between January and April. They are local right now. This is our season. Mon Mar 16 09:42:10 -0700 2009 4509202 232829 kchurchill5 5 4509304 Yes, I realize cucumbers are in season somewhere. I was just trying to understand what the particular set-up BerkshireTsarina has with her "CSA" or whatever it's called. ~TDQ Mon Mar 16 09:46:36 -0700 2009 4509284 12005 The Dairy Queen 6 4509344 Oh ... sorry, still need to find my glasses :) Mon Mar 16 09:56:37 -0700 2009 4509304 232829 kchurchill5 6 4511162 yes, i was wondering the same thing, too. Mon Mar 16 17:54:13 -0700 2009 4509304 105717 alkapal 4 4509536 Dairy Queen, it isn't exactly a CSA, but I don't know what else to call it. As you suspect, we're still under a fair amount of snow here in the Berkshires! In season, the young woman who began Berkshire Organics : http://berkshireorganics.com/ delivers baskets in a CSA fashion, that is, you get what's available, from various local farms. Out of season, she has tried developing a similar network with some small farms in one of the Carolinas and Florida. If all else fails, she fills in with some veggies and fruit from CA. Common denominator is that everything is organic; and as local as possible. For yogurts and such, she's got year-round local suppliers (but those you order separately). The local produce --- when it's been truly local --- has been excellent quality. The trucked-in stuff is more problematic. When it's truly growing season here --- 4 -5 months of the year --- we've got farmers' markets and abbondanza on our own. In shoulder seasons, it's nice to have the convenience of delivery, the lottery like surprise of what you get, and good stuff. Now --- well, the jury's still out. As I said, it isn't truly a CSA, but it's not exactly like anything else either. I certainly wish her and her husband well, and the local farms she has connections with. Check out the web site, clearer than my explanation. Mon Mar 16 10:48:10 -0700 2009 4509202 137881 BerkshireTsarina 5 4509623 Sounds very interesting, thank you! I shall have a look at the link. And kchurchill, no worries! Your passionate chatter about food is always wlecome. ~TDQ Mon Mar 16 11:12:13 -0700 2009 4509536 12005 The Dairy Queen 6 4509664 Thank you DQ Mon Mar 16 11:22:50 -0700 2009 4509623 232829 kchurchill5 1 4479584 I love any cucumber, had a garden growing up. Sour cream, cut most seeds out and slice in half moons, some sour cream, onions and dill with a dash of lemon juice and pepper. Onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers, add some kalamata olives and a simpel red wine vinaigrette (easy but great) A warm cucumber dish I just posted. I used seedless, but just use regular and remove most seeds. http://www.chow.com/recipes/18700 This a great sauteed cucumber but still served room temp Cucumber in a coleslaw is great with some cabbage, some jicama and mango with an asian slaw. A cucumber and yogurt sauce is great over lamb chovs or gyros, absolutely wonderful or lamb kabobs. I have even used it over pork, just as good and great. Also a cucumber spread, roast red pepper, sour cream and fine chopped cucumber on a cracker with some smoked salmon is great. Easy and great. Make a sandwich ... tortilla, I like the tomato or spinach version. I spread with a garlic herb cream cheese or herbed cheese, then thin ribbons or cucumber, thin shallots and some roasted red peppers and some good thin slices of tuna or turkey or ham. Use what you have. Also some nice arugula is great with this. Roll tight and let set 30 minutes and slice in bites. And I use cucumber is many dishes, cold couscous and rice salads as well as asian rolls with shrimp, carrots and cucumbers with an asian sauce rolled in pring rolls. A great way to use them. I also make a cucumber, jicama, carrot and pineapple salad with a light yogurt and mayo dressing with fresh mint and toasted walnuts. I have hundreds. I grew up 20 years with a giant garden or more veggie than anyone could eat. Cucumbers were just one. Cucumber drinks are now popular now, however I haven't tried any, but have heard. I also made a sauce of sauteed cucumbers, onions, lemon and some chilis to go over fish which was quite good. Sorry I don't have the recipe handy but can get it this weekend if interested. Fri Mar 06 09:31:19 -0800 2009 4479213 232829 kchurchill5 2 4499477 Yum, yum, yum! I do a lot of the same but that salad sounds delish, will have to try! I made a fabulous Cucumber salsa last year, I'll have to dig out that recipe, I remember it having cucumber, avocado, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno & lime juice...it was chunky & yummy! I've been setting out a platter w/ sliced cucumber sprinkled w/ Pico De Gallo con Limon at every summer gathering for years now and it is always gobbled up by all. Wow, all this cucumber talk has me dreaming about summer! Thu Mar 12 16:43:47 -0700 2009 4479584 20475 twisterp 1 4479676 I forgot two ... Cucumber, mango and crab meat (canned is ok, fresh is better) but I realize can be expensive and not always available. I make a light sauce with oj, dill, shallots, pecans and dried figs and scallions and yogurt. Mix and put in individual lettuce leaves for a salad or in a small wine or martini glass as an appetizer. It is wonderful. And use what you have. Feel free to leave out some or add your favorites. It is a creamy light salad. Also cucumber, mango, onion, and a light lime vinaigrette and some red pepper flakes and pepper. A simple salad. Fri Mar 06 09:56:18 -0800 2009 4479213 232829 kchurchill5 2 4480296 kc - that sounds awesome! I have some mango and may just make this for dinner if i can find some crab - any chance you can send me some of your stash of stone crab?!? :-) Fri Mar 06 12:55:23 -0800 2009 4479676 203338 chicaraleigh 3 4480378 NO WAY!! My golden crop I guard those with my life. It is a great simple recipe. I just use plain yogurt. A side is great too in the lettuce leaves I use bib leaves or radicchio but more bite but just with some shredded in a small glass or bowl is equally as good I'm not that particular, it is the food not so much the presentation, but just easy and yummy, some crunch sweet and the crab. You can be adventurous and add a little red pepper flakes for some heat which is good but I love the fig and nut taste with it. Just yummy. Spring rolls is good too, but I love just as lettuce or in the glasses which is sort of fun. FYI, I used this over Grilled Tilapia once, just pan seared with a little lime, salt and pepper. Pretty tasty too, but so good on its own. Hope you can fine it. But sorry ... I'm not sharing my boys :) They're all mine. Fri Mar 06 13:16:48 -0800 2009 4480296 232829 kchurchill5 4 4480514 what if i send you a green can of stuff? would you share then?!? LOL Fri Mar 06 13:54:39 -0800 2009 4480378 203338 chicaraleigh 5 4480969 I just may :) Love that stuff, hehehe Fri Mar 06 16:31:22 -0800 2009 4480514 232829 kchurchill5 2 4497738 you've got me hooked now.....I made my version of your cuke/mango/crab salad for dinner last week and it was awesome!! I used dried dates instead of figs and walnuts instead of pecans (it's what I had on hand). Also added a bit of crushed red pepper. OH - also used fresh lime juice instead of OJ, skipped the dill (personally dislike anything licorice tasting) swapped thyme for the dill. Again, just what I had on hand but the main ingredients were stellar. Thanks for sharing another great inspiration! Thu Mar 12 09:18:46 -0700 2009 4479676 203338 chicaraleigh 3 4502806 Hey, they are all ideas, add your own tastes. That is what makes great recipes. Also, who knows, one day oj, one day lime, one day mango, one day papaya. I love base recipes and then I change according to season and what is available on hand or at a local store. Love good fresh food like that. Glad you enjoyed! Fri Mar 13 15:54:37 -0700 2009 4497738 232829 kchurchill5 1 4480364 I like tripling the cucumber garnish in Dan Dan Mian. They are a great foil to the oily, spicy noodles and pork in this dish. Here's an example recipe, but I think there's a million variations: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/dan-dan-noodles Fri Mar 06 13:13:48 -0800 2009 4479213 95577 yamalam 2 4480584 yamalam, what kind of noodles are used? If I don't have access to Asian noodles (and I don't), would thin spaghetti be a substitute? The recipe sounds good --- with tripled cucumber garnish! Fri Mar 06 14:11:40 -0800 2009 4480364 137881 BerkshireTsarina 3 4486006 I've subbed fettucine or rice noodles, no prob Sun Mar 08 20:47:29 -0700 2009 4480584 95577 yamalam 1 4480387 FYI, at times, depending on the sweetness of the crab, mango and ripeness of the cucumber, I added a small squeeze of honey, just as an afterthought. Use your judgement. I did one but don't most of the time. The ripeness of the fruit really dictates that. Just in case. Fri Mar 06 13:19:47 -0800 2009 4479213 232829 kchurchill5 1 4480613 Heat a little oil in a pan. Stir-fry some dried chilli and Sichuan peppercorns for a few seconds. Add 1 star anise and some chopped bacon (or pancetta) and fry for a while. Add finely chopped red chilli for a few seconds. Then add some rice wine, a good spalsh of sesame oil and a good splash of rice vinegar (or cider vinegar). Then add the cucumber which you've sliced into 1cm thick halfmoons. Add a good squeeze of lime juice. Serve. Sprinke with some chopped coriander and peanuts. Fri Mar 06 14:18:05 -0800 2009 4479213 154102 Harters 1 4480676 the show I was thinking of was Emeril Green - here's the link for his sauteed cukes: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/emeril-warmed-cucumbers.html Fri Mar 06 14:35:13 -0800 2009 4479213 203338 chicaraleigh 1 4480811 Downthread you say you want a warm dish for the cold days. Fix a Mexican or Thai style soup. Zebra peel the cucumbers. Cut down the middle lenghtwise; remove the seeds and pulp, and then cut into 1/2 inch quarter moons. They taste like an exotic and nicely textured gourd when cooked briefly in the soup. Fri Mar 06 15:24:59 -0800 2009 4479213 36661 Sam Fujisaka 1 4481019 Slice with or without skin and / or seeds, depending on preferences, and toss with some vinegar. Any kind you like, from rice vinegar to balsamic. Add some spices if you like. Let sit overnight. Good for a few days and then becomes mushy. Fri Mar 06 16:51:01 -0800 2009 4479213 71350 lergnom 2 4499442 This was always a staple in our fridge while growing up and now it's my boys favorite snack...I add a sliced onion and lots of black pepper, tarragon vinegar and a dash of evoo. We are currently going through 2-3 cukes a day, definately better than going through a bag of Flamin Hot Limon Cheetos (their other fave snack:)) Thu Mar 12 16:31:54 -0700 2009 4481019 20475 twisterp 1 4499044 Juice them with carrots. Thu Mar 12 14:33:52 -0700 2009 4479213 169792 lgss 2 4502689 yum- i would drink that in a heartbeat. going to ask for that next time we go out to eat. Fri Mar 13 15:11:41 -0700 2009 4499044 217807 cheesecake17 1 4501556 I was at a Marriot Hotel and they had thin slices in the water. Fri Mar 13 10:08:21 -0700 2009 4479213 21396 normalheightsfoodie 2 4502693 they added thin slices of cucumber and lemon to the water at the spa at the venetian. some pitchers had cucumber and mint. Fri Mar 13 15:12:17 -0700 2009 4501556 217807 cheesecake17 1 4505201 In a former life I was definitely Japanese; so the suggestions about Asian stuffed cucumbers intrigued me. Tried Florence Kuo's recipe tonight (with tweaks from a few blogs) and result was pleasing. Very well suited for cold weather too! We're still in the 40's (and that's after a major rise in temperature, too). Next up, exploring Dan Dan noodles. With cucumber garnish, as per yamalam. Sat Mar 14 16:08:00 -0700 2009 4479213 137881 BerkshireTsarina 1 4505244 Wow! Which CSA's have cucumbers in March? Sat Mar 14 16:25:30 -0700 2009 4479213 39504 Shrinkrap 2 4505356 FL, pretty much year round to a degree. I used to have a small green house with them. Just finished several months of great tomatoes and peppers. Have a small portable green house and have 4 cucumber plants, and already had some. Nothing better. Sat Mar 14 17:23:28 -0700 2009 4505244 232829 kchurchill5 3 4505697 Ah! of course! (I'm in California and there's no cukes in MY box!) Sat Mar 14 20:05:23 -0700 2009 4505356 39504 Shrinkrap 4 4505721 Poor poor baby. I'll slice one up tonight and have my cucumber and herbed cheese sandwish. I love those. Old fashioned but still sooo good. I could eat cucumber all day. I make a cool stir fry cucumber with soy, ginger, honey, red pepper flakes, sesame and shallots. Warm stir fry. I love it and so simple. Some red pepper is really good with this too. Nothing that takes more than a couple of minutes. It probably isn't very traditional, but it sure is good. Passed down from a good friend who traveled overseas a lot. Sat Mar 14 20:16:17 -0700 2009 4505697 232829 kchurchill5 5 4508242 My mom used to make something like that. What do you mean by "cool stir fry"? Chilled after cooking? Or "cool" as in "sick"? Sun Mar 15 20:58:27 -0700 2009 4505721 39504 Shrinkrap 6 4509014 Sick ... bad use of cool I guess. However, I have served this room temp and chilled too. So I guess either way Mon Mar 16 08:22:38 -0700 2009 4508242 232829 kchurchill5 1 4505483 pimm's cup with a cucumber stick. http://www.artofdrink.com/2007/03/pimms-cup.php if you can have good, fresh cukes, then you can have a summer drink! ;-). Sat Mar 14 18:10:30 -0700 2009 4479213 105717 alkapal