Our Cucumber Crop

Dear Lauren,

Dad grew these cucumbers. Pretty cool.

So I looked for a recipe to start using them up, they're coming in fast.
I may become the cucumber expert by the end of the season since our broccoli, cauliflower, summer squash and zucchini all died! Sob!

I had such good luck with Thomas Keller on the biscuits that I decided to check the Ad Hoc at Home cookbook first. And I decided to make Marinated Cucumbers.

Now you can see here I peeled them. Where do the peels go? Stay tuned.

They're so pretty.

I seeded them by dragging the spoon along the center. Then I cut them in half-moons. I always do this, even when I use cucumbers for other things. The seeds aren't bad...they're just not amazing.

Then I got distracted by this. Dad made me a burger. Lunch! So I just stole some of my cucumbers and slapped them right on the burger. Yum.

Here's where the cucumber peelings went. :-) I've almost got enough for another batch of stock.

Here's the marinade.

Here they are in the jar, all ready to sit in the fridge for a week or two.

We ate them today. Ten days is all we could handle waiting. They're great! These are not pickles. Don't make them if that's what you're expecting. They're just marinated cucumbers but they are delicious.


Marinated Cucumbers
adapted from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

3 cucumbers, or 1 pound of cucumbers
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
coarse Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut off the ends of the cucumbers and peel them. Cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a small spoon. Cut the cucumbers in half-moons, about 1/2-inch thick.Combine the rest of the ingredients except the salt and pepper. Stir til the sugar dissolves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Put your cucumbers in some jam jars (I needed 2) and pour the liquid evenly between the jars. Refrigerate between 1 day and 2 weeks. When you're ready to serve, discard the oil that'd risen to the top. You won't get all of it. That's fine! The little bits of solid oil easily blend with the vinegar mixture. Serve these cold. They'd be great on that burger Dad made me. Or they're fine served alone, maybe with some toothpicks as an appetizer.


Love,

P.S. Did you know cucumbers have tiny spikes on them? Well ours do. Dad says it's to ward off bugs. They rub right off when you wash them.