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CUCUMBERS
Cucumbers are a delightfully cool and refreshing vegetable to harvest in the hot summer months. They are delicious
in salads, pasta salads, couscous, and tabouli (see recipe below for tabouli). I grow some traditional varieties
as well as some thin skinned, burpless, and pickling varietes. I haven't really settled on cucumber varieties that I'm in love
with yet, so I'm still experimenting with what kinds to grow. We get insect pests on the cucumbers plants and downy and powdery
mildew can also be a problem. However, these problems are highly variable year to year, so some years we can
have a ton of cucumbers and other years not so many.
I'm generally not fan of pickles, but we did make our own pickles one year and they were pretty amazing. With our fresh herbs and garlic added to the usuall pickling spices they turned out VERY flavorful and crunchy. We always have a tomato canning gathering in August sometime, maybe we could add a pickling party in late July or early August depending on how well they do and if there is interest. If you like pickles, that is a great way to use and preserve a ton of cucumbers. Another way to help cucumbers disappear is by having one sliced up and sitting on the table while you are cooking dinner. That way your annoying spouse, roomate, or child that is always trying to sneak bites of whatever you are cooking can have something else to munch on! Much like carrots, we find that if one is already sliced up and sitting out, it will disappear. A little plate with some ranch dressing on it can help that process along too! Sliced cucumbers are also great on a sandwiches. RECIPES: Tabouli 1 cup bulgar wheat 2 cups boiling water 1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh parsley 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint 1/2 cup minced green onions 1 cucumber, chopped fine 1-2 medium tomatoes, chopped fine 1 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lemon juice Combine bulgar and boiling water and let sit 20 minutes until tender. Drain off excess water if necessary. Add other ingredients, mix well and chill 3-4 hours. Great with corn chips or as a side dish. If you don't have bulgar wheat lying around, this recipe is also great with couscous, orzo, or as a pasta salad. Yogurt Cucumber Sauce 1 cup plain yogurt 1 cup diced (1/4-inch) cucumber 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill 2 teaspoons fresh mint Salt and freshly ground black pepper In a medium-size bowl, mix all the ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve at once. Often served with souvlaki, gyros, falafel, or anything else served on a pita. It's also a great tangy salad dressing. |