Cucumbers galore. We had some pickling cucumbers from the greenhouse at the beginning of the season but now we’re into the abundance of field cucumbers. Make some quick pickles or give lacto-fermentation a try.
With dill in the share this week as well, the possibilities for cucumbers are endless. Make some quick pickles or give lacto-fermentation a try.
Cucumbers and squash are both part of the cucurbit family, which also includes melons. Globally, cucumbers are the second most consumed cucurbit, only behind watermelon. These are sweet and crisp. We’ve been slicing them thinly and dressing with soy sauce, vinegar, and a touch of sesame of oil for an easy snack.
These are some cute little guys. Crisp and refreshing. Also called pickling cucumbers, they would be perfect for that. But would also be great in a salad or on a sandwich.
The same sort of cucumbers we received in the last share. English cucumbers are long, slender and thin skinned so no need to peel. A funny problem this year with half shares is that when each full share receives one really large cucumber, we have to cut them in half for the half shares.
Over the winter, Nichols Farm added a couple greenhouses to their already impressive amount. In these greenhouses, they plant directly into the earth giving them the both the protection of a greenhouse and the amazing soil they have cultivated over many seasons. With this, they are able to perform the magic act of having cucumbers and tomatoes available in the middle of May.
To double down on cucumber-iness, recently I’ve been making a cucumber sauce (tzatziki) to dip slices of cucumber into. It’s been pretty tasty.
There are two different varieties in the shares this week. The long slender one is an english cucumber, and the shorter bumbier one is more of a garden variety.
While these are called pickling cucumbers, they can be used for a as you would any other cucumber. Simply sliced, they’re a nice snack or addition to a salad/sandwich.
From the greenhouse, these cucumbers are great for slicing and eating raw. Once cut, just store in an airtight container.
To double down on cucumber-iness, recently we’ve been making a cucumber sauce (tzatziki) to dip slices of cucumber into. It’s been pretty tasty.
An other opportunity to press the pause button here would be to do a quick-pickle. We like to cut into spears and use a brine of equal parts water to acid with sugar, salt, and spicy peppers to taste. Pickled like that, the cucumbers will stay good for months in the fridge.
