The rest of my garden is being outnumbered by cucumbers – outcucumbered? It happens about this time every year. August is a tough month for plants in my growing zone. It’s hot, drier than other months, and the time when many greens go to seed. But tomatoes are still producing and cucumbers are going crazy!
I don’t know where those things hide. I’ll pick what I see, note a few small cukes forming behind a flower and think, well it will be a minute before I have anything to pick. Then a day or two later, I’ll scour the row again and find two giant cucumbers nowhere near the tiny ones I noted which are still there slowly growing.
In a way, it seems magical. In a way, it makes me feel like an unreliable witness. Either way, it can leave me with lots of cucumber at one time. Since I can’t possibly drink enough gin to justify it as a garnish only, I’ve been searching for the best use of the light, crisp, refreshing fruit.
In the sense that cucumbers are fruits used as vegetables, I suppose tomatoes are a natural companion as reflected in the numerous salads containing both. And the flavors are delicious together. Add some bell pepper, which is still producing, and I have the basis for a tasty, crunchy salad left in my beleaguered garden. With that in mind and a pile of cucumbers in hand, I’ve been playing with variations on cucumber salad.
There’s no question that dill pairs well with cucumber. If you grow herbs, don’t forget to consider combinations of parsley, mint, basil, and cilantro. I recently mixed cilantro, mint, and fresh ginger with delightful results.
Ginger also goes well with radishes. Cucumber, radish salad is another crunchy base on which to build. Consider the addition of roasted beets and lemon ginger dressing.
Since radishes aren’t my favorite, I might ditch them for orange slices. Cucumber, beet, orange salad sounds like a delicious beginning. I lean this way because I often add orange zest to my roasted beets. I like the flavors together.
I don’t specifically remember my grandmother being overrun with cucumbers, but I do remember her making pickles. Maybe she was outcucumbered too. I don’t have any canning paraphernalia, but I have been known to make a quick pickle or two. They’re quick, easy, and delicious alongside a burger.
If I have cucumbers with tender skin, I leave it on. But my current crop doesn’t fit that mold. Most people suggest leaving the tough skin on. I agree with this if you’re not using the pickles soon. But I tend to make these last minute and consume them all
I peel, slice thin using a mandoline, and sprinkle liberally with fresh dill. In a separate bowl, I add salt, pepper, sugar, and olive oil to rice vinegar and whisk. Once the dressing is mixed, I pour it over the cucumbers and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Fast, easy, fresh, and readily available, quick pickles liven up a fall plate or tailgate.
With their light flavor, cucumbers offer a great base for many tasty combinations. As long as you keep that in mind, you’ll never be outcucumbered.
