Cool Cucumbers

Gradually, we are hauling ourselves out of the doldrums of winter. Although we are fortunate enough to have fantastic greens throughout the dark months, I am starting to hear some griping about nothing but carrots, potatoes, parsnips, and beets. How many ways can you cook them until you start desiring something with a little bit more crunch and feeling of freshness. Ironically, one of the first of crisp succulent vegetables to return are cucumbers.

Now wait a minute, aren't cucumbers a summer vegetable? Indeed, they are however they are also one of the first crops for greenhouse growers. I’m not talking about the thick-skinned pickling kind of cucumbers but the delicate Persian cucumbers.

Persian cucumbers are smaller size with thin skin and smaller seeds. They are usually 4 to 6 inches long and about an inch in diameter with a mild sweet flavor. They are fast growing, prolific, and store well, but best of all they are versatile.

I was fortunate enough to snag a box of these beauties last week. On Monday morning one of my neighbors stopped by the house. They asked what I was going to do with all those cucumbers. Eat them! They were incredulous at the fact that I was going to consume an entire carton of cucumbers by myself. No way they replied. I'm not even to the end of the week and already they are all gone.

There are so many ways one can prepare Persian cucumbers. My favorite way to prep them is to cut them all up at once and divide them between two or three jars or storage tubs. Next, I decide what the flavors of the week are going to be. One container gets a big dollop of Greek yogurt, crumbled feta, green onions, and minced fresh tender herbs. The other one gets spiked with a spoonful of chili crunch, fresh chives and crushed garlic. A good shake of both containers to distribute the ingredients and into the fridge they go to be ready when I am hungry. And best of all every single ingredient came from the farmers market.

There is another reason for prepping my Persians first thing on Monday morning— they will last longer. Because of their thin skin Persian cucumbers tend not to store as well as thicker skinned summer varieties. If you are finding the larger varieties in the grocery stores this time of year, they are either waxed or individually shrink wrapped. And we all know the last thing the world needs is more plastic.

But if you’ve tossed them in the refrigerator and forgotten about them until later in the week, all is not lost. Even if the cucumbers become a bit wrinkly and desiccated, they will still work just fine in the blender. A little oil and vinegar and a cucumber that's a bit past its prime will provide a delicious dressing for salads. And don't rule out adding one to a smoothie.

No matter how you slice them Persian cucumbers are a great way to kick off your spring menus while eating local and healthy at the same time.