What to do with your excess gourds
Cucumbers were always my Lithuanian grandmother’s favorite vegetable. Every fall, she methodically began the natural process of canning the cucumbers she had been growing. She didn’t speak English, so explanations were primarily visual. My brother and I assisted her in this process from searching for large pickle jars to finding dill and other pickling spices and vinegar in the local markets, It was always great fun which helped to make the end of summer and going back to school more palatable.
Here we are again. The fall is upon us and the number of cukes, especially the warty yet delicious Kirby cukes, make the “dilling process” that much more exciting. Below are a series of recipes that easily enable us to take advantage of the riches that cucumbers bring us this time of year. The first is an easy canning process. Other recipes illustrate that cukes are delicious cooked or raw. And we also have to recognize that cucumbers are grown to be skinless like the European varieties and rough and warty like the Kirby’s. A third variety is called burpless to help digestion. The most recent varieties are promoted as having few seeds and thin skins which contain fiber, silica, magnesium and potassium. And since the silica is said to be good for the face, we find a double advantage in the kitchen and for facials. See Deborah Madison’s discussion of this research in Vegetable Literacy 2014. I personally enjoy the warty Kirby’s over the European’s because they are smaller, 3-4 inches, and easier to handle in the pickling process. Further, grocery store pickles are waxed to retard the process of losing moisture. So shopping at your farmer’s market or growing your own pickles avoids waxing which can’t be that good for us to begin with.
Pickling Made Easy
Yield: A gallon of pickles
Requires no special equipment, no canning experience and tastes just like refrigerated kosher dill pickles. Use gallon-size container.
Ingredients
• 15–25 Kirby cucumbers, 3-4 inches long
• 1/2 gallon cold water
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 fresh dill heads, or 4 tablespoons dried dill
Instructions
1. Wash cucumbers but do not scrub them.
2. In a gallon-jar container, or 16-ounce ball jars, layer the dill or seed and garlic cloves.
3. In a large bowl stir together the remaining ingredients including the cucumbers.
4. Pour all of the ingredients (the brine) over the cucumbers in the container, taking care to make sure all of the cucumbers are fully submerged. If needed, place something heavy on the cucumbers to weigh them down and keep them under the brine—such as a small plate.
5. Cover the container with a lid or place a piece of cheesecloth over the jar with a rubber band
6. Leave out of direct sunlight on the counter for 2-4 days. Fix your lid tightly onto your jar or container and chill. These can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months provided you keep them covered with brine.
7.Remove any foam on top of the brine with a spoon. Do the same attached to any cucumber. Remove those affected. And keep all pickles fully submerged. You have just created a wonderful, home-made specialty. Enjoy.
Baked Cucumbers—With Variations
By Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961)
Ingredients-6 Servings:
• 6 large cucumbers
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 11/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
or 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 4 tablespoons minced scallions
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions
1. Peel the cucumbers.
2. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
3. Cut into lengthwise strips about 3/8 inch wide.
4. Cut strips into 2-inch pieces.
5. Toss the cucumber with the vinegar, salt and sugar.
6. Let stand for 30 minutes to several hours.
7. Drain and pat dry in a towel.
8. Preheat oven to 375F.
9. Toss the cucumbers in a baking dish with the butter, herbs, scallions and pepper.
10. Set uncovered in the middle level of the preheated oven for about an hour, tossing 2-3 times, until cucumbers are tender, but still have a suggestion of crispiness and texture.
They will barely color during cooking. Enjoy.
Variation One: Parslied Cucumbers. Place in a warm vegetable dish; toss with 2 tbsp. parsley, diced
Variation Two: Creamed Cucumbers and Parsley; diced; Boil 1 cup whipping cream until it has reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper, fold into the hot baked cucumbers, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Simple Asian Cucumber
Salad—4 To 6 Servings
Ingredients
• 3 large European cucumbers, about 1 pound each, or 6 lbs European cu-cumbers
• 11/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 2 chopped scallions
• 1-inch thinly sliced ginger
Directions
1. Peel the cucumbers and cut in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon or a melon baller, scoop out the seeds from each half, forming a shallow groove down the center.
2. Slice the cucumbers crosswise with a sharp knife or mandoline as thinly as possible, ideally about 1/8-inch thick.
3. Place the cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Toss to combine the cucumbers with the salt and allow to stand, refrigerated, for 1-2 hours.
4. Place the cucumbers in a clean towel and squeeze handfuls of cucumber slices to release and dispose of any excess liquid and transfer to a medium size bowl.
5. In another medium, nonreactive bowl, combine the white vinegar, cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, diced jalapeno, and sugar, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumbers.
6. Serve by itself or create a green salad with the cucumbers, Boston lettuce, romaine and radicchio leaves. Enjoy.
Cucumber Appetizer—
Serves Party Of 6
• 3 European cucumbers, slice 1/4-inch wide without peeling or deseeded
• 1/4 cup Champagne vinegar; and 1/4 cup balsamic
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• Red chili flakes served in a small ramekin
Directions
1. Cut 1/4-inch wide cucumbers
2. Add the champagne and balsamic vinegar to a medium-size bowl
3. Add sesame seeds, salt and pepper
4. Place the seasoned cucumbers, vinegars and seasoning in an attractive bowl with a large spoon and small plates on the side.
Your guests will enjoy serving themselves with toothpicks, forks or chop sticks. Other spices may be appealing to some guests and not others. For example, serving chili flakes in a small bowl are often appreciated. Eating alone is another time to enjoy this treat.
