“Cool as a cucumber” is a cliché, and it’s true. A member of the melon family, cucumbers are 90 percent to 95 percent water and a crisp cooling treat.
Christina Hubbard of Christina’s Organic Vegetables sells cucumbers through the Cumming Harvest, an online market at cumming.locallygrown.net. She can also be found on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings at the Cumming Farmers Market at the fairgrounds in downtown Cumming.
Cucumbers hold most of their nutrients in the skin, and Hubbard likes to tell her customers that since her cucumbers are grown organically, they never have to peel them. “You don’t want to eat the skin of a commercially grown cucumber because of all the things that get sprayed," she said, "but ours are fine to eat.”
She grew four varieties of cucumber this year, a regular slicing cucumber, two seedless varieties and Diamant, a pickling cucumber.
“The pickling cucumbers really surprised me. They were the best of any variety we grew, with a sweet skin that makes them perfect as salad cucumbers," Hubbard said. "I probably won’t grow standard slicing cucumbers again, since the pickling cucumbers taste so much better and work for both pickling and fresh eating.”
Cucumbers grow quickly, with many varieties ready to harvest just 47 days after seeds go into the ground. Hubbard starts her plants from seed in the spring and gets the first seedlings into the ground around April 15. Then she practices succession planting to keep the harvest going as long as possible.
Unfortunately, a long spell of hot, dry weather can kill off the plants, so there may not be a steady stream of cucumbers going to market. Cooler temperatures and a little rain will bring on a new crop.
When you buy cucumbers, they need to be kept cool and moist. Refrigerate them in a plastic bag to help hold in the humidity, but don’t expect them to last forever. Use them in five to 10 days, and know that they’ll start losing crispness after those first five days.
At local farmers markets
Fruit: apples, Asian pears, melons, muscadines and pears.
Vegetables and herbs: African squash, arugula, basil, beans, beets, broccoli, butter beans, carrots, cucumbers, edamame, eggplant, fennel, garlic, lettuce, micro greens, okra, onions, peppers, potatoes, Southern peas, spaghetti squash, summer squash, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.
Events this week:
- Saturday, Sept. 11. First Annual Sandy Springs Guns and Hoses Chili Showdown, a chili cookoff featuring teams from Sandy Springs' Police and Fire departments. Sandy Springs Farmers Market. For information: www.sandspringsfarmersmarket.com.
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11. Sizzle and Splash, a fundraiser for the market with grass-fed burgers and side dishes. East Lake Farmers Market. For information: www.eastlakefarmersmarket.com .
Cooking demos this week:
- 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11. Chef Doug Turbush, Bluepointe; working with butternut squash. Morningside Farmers Market. For information: www.morningsidemarket.com .
- 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 11. Chef Steven Hartman, La Vigne at Montaluce. Peachtree Road Farmers Market. For information: www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com .
- 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15. Michele Green, featuring tailgating ideas. Dunwoody Green Market. For more information: www.dunwoodygreenmarket.com .
Produce from elsewhere
Just coming in: California Asian pears, South Georgia squash, Mississippi sweet potatoes.
At their peak: apples, carrots, California and New York corn, Mexican cucumbers.
Going out of season: asparagus, blueberries, melons, peaches.
From local reports, USDA Market News
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Sesame Cucumber Salad
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes plus chilling time
Serves: 8
Chef Kevin Ouzts of the Spotted Trotter charcuterie demonstrated this recipe this year at the opening of the Chamblee Farmers Market. One of his seasonings was yuzu, a very sour Japanese citrus fruit. Ouzts buys his yuzu paste at True World Foods, and he suggests that the paste or juice can be found at any Asian market. Substitute mandarin orange juice if you wish. You can make this salad up to a day ahead of time, but add the diced avocados just before serving.
2 cups Southern field peas
3 large cucumbers, peeled and cubed
2 avocados, peeled and cubed
1 shallot, diced
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup plain rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons yuzu paste or mandarin orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper
In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add peas and cook until tender, about 20 minutes, depending on variety and maturity. Drain and cool.
While peas are cooking, prepare cucumbers, avocados and shallot. In a large bowl, combine field peas, cucumbers, avocadoes, shallot, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, yuzu paste or mandarin orange juice, sesame oil and lime juice. Toss well and season to taste. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
Per serving: 175 calories (percent of calories from fat, 42), 4 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 524 milligrams sodium.
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