Blogs / Food & Drink / Spring 2011 / Summer Cucumbers from the La Jolla Farmers' Market

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Summer Cucumbers from the La Jolla Farmers' Market

In the height of summer, cucumbers rule. Their cool (as in “cool as a …”) bite and breezy flavor refreshes on a sultry day. We tend to think of cucumbers uniformly as those long, thick seedy fruits with a thick and maybe waxy deep green skin. But there are numerous varieties and you can find several at the local farmers markets. I’ve highlighted four varieties, and included a favorite summertime recipe I’ve made for decades when it’s too hot too cook: Chilled Cucumber Bisque. You can use conventional cucumbers, but I like to mix and match the Armenian, Lemon, and Mini Whites. With their thin skin, there’s no need to peel any of them, but do remove the thick bed of seeds. The best tool for that is a serrated melon baller.

Lemon Cucumbers
These unusual yellow balls are perfect for salads, or sliced thin, marinated in rice vinegar, and tossed with toasted sesame seeds and red pepper flakes as a cool snack on a hot afternoon, or adding to the soup below. The name comes from their size and color, which resemble a lemon, but the flavor is sweet—actually sweeter than a conventional cucumber. Look for a bright yellow color and stripes. I found these at the J.R. Organics stall at the La Jolla Farmers Market for $2 a pound.
 
Mini White Cucumbers
Sweet, crunchy, and unusual in their ivory to yellow coloring, the mini whites don’t need peeling and are divine raw—in a salad, sliced and salted, or cut into spears and added to a pita wrap with tomato, arugula, and dripping with hummus. Use it for tzatziki, add to the soup below, or pickle them. You can find these at the Suzie’s Farm stall at the La Jolla Farmers Market for $3 a pound. The more yellow they are, the sweeter they should taste.

West Indian Gherkins
I saw these strange looking cukes alongside the equally odd Mexican Sour Gherkins at Suzie’s Farm’s stall at the La Jolla Farmers Market. Megan, the young woman working there, sliced one for me and gave me a taste. They have a unique salty and tart flavor. They are perfect for snacking and for pickling. They’re $3 a pound. Select those that are more deeply green.

Armenian Cucumbers
Isn’t it annoying when the name of a plant is misleading? This example is truly strange—Armenian cucumbers aren’t cucumbers. They’re in the melon family. Yet, like cucumbers they’re elongated with soft seeds in the center. And they even taste like cucumbers, with that same mild, breezy flavor. So, we treat these curly two-tone melons like cukes, slicing them into salads, turning them into a cool summer soup, adding them to sandwiches or sushi, or scooping out the seeds and stuffing them with, say, feta or thick Greek yogurt for a snack. Want to try something different? Slice and sauté them gently in olive oil with a little salt and pepper like zucchini. And, remember, there’s no need to peel them. You can find Armenian cucumbers at Suzie’s Farm, Morning Star Ranch, and Sage Mountain Farm stands at the farmers' markets, including the Pacific Beach and La Jolla markets, for $3/pound.

Chilled Cucumber Bisque
Serves 2
I’ve been making this recipe every summer for decades, ever since a good friend in New York introduced it to me when we were roommates. I’ve changed it a bit to make the flavors more pronounced, but it’s still the same light and frothy bowl of coolness I remember as relief from those 90-percent humidity days. It’s perfect with a hunk of sour dough bread dipped in grassy olive oil. Need some protein? Add some grilled shrimp or crab meat.

1 ½ large cucumbers or about 1 pound (use a mix of Armenian, Lemon and Mini Whites)
2 cups unflavored yogurt
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dill
½ teaspoon ground pepper (or use Aleppo pepper for a little smokiness)
2 large or 3 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
¼ cup sliced green onion (you can substitute chives)

1.    Peel cucumber if using conventional, otherwise, leave the skin on with thin-skin cucumbers to create a confetti look. Slice lengthwise into halves. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Cut into chunks and combine in the bowl of a blender or food processor with yogurt, vinegar, onion, garlic, dill, and pepper. Cover and process briefly until blended.
2.    Pour into a container or bowl. Stir tomatoes into soup. Cover and chill at least two hours or overnight.
3.    Adjust seasonings. Garnish with sliced green onions or chives – or more dill.

Photos by Caron Golden

About the Author: There's not much that award-winning food writer Caron Golden enjoys more than discovering unique edibles at the markets--and then turning them into memorable meals for friends and family. The official journey began with her blog, San Diego Foodstuff, and has expanded to include writing for national publications like Saveur  and culinate.com as well as appearances on KPBS radio. Unofficially, it began with Mom and Dad, who still think hanging out at 99 Ranch is the world's best entertainment. Follow Caron on Twitter at @carondg.