isn't a ripe cucumber just another squash? would you put

[mopinko]

it in a soup with navy beans, green beans, & chicken?

we are thankfully at the end of the cucumber season, one of those avalanche or nothing crops. a couple escaped notice and are now actually beautiful looking ripe members of the squash family. these are the burpless ones, so they are extra tender. i tasted one peel and all, and i thought it was ok.

i think my family will accused me of attempted homicide if i feed it to them without a cite from and objective authority.
anybody?

i'm off to get the bread going. will check back shortly.

[ceile]

1. It will turn to mush.

I wouldn't do it- they are much softer than squash. Just my opinion.

[mopinko]

2. they could go in at the last minute. but

i do have plenty of ingredients for my soup, anyway. but i am thinking about cooking it like any other summer squash. maybe i will put some bacon on it so my husband will eat it.

[ceile]

3. good idea.

Bacon makes everything better. ;)

[eleny]

4. Chilled cuke soups are delicious

[cbayer]

5. Agree - that's what I would do with it as well.

:hi:

[Warpy]

6. it's got a higher water content than squash

although yellow squash comes close. I do have recipes for cooked cucumber but the only way I'd do it is with the denser European cukes and I just can't justify two bucks on a cucumber for an experiment. I have, however, tossed a few chunks into a stir fry with reasonable success.

Some of the water can be removed by seeding and then salting, the steps to the braised cuke recipes I have, but if I'm going to go that far, I'm going to drown them in garlic, dill and sour cream, instead. I love them that way.

Otherwise, I prefer them as they are, sliced into salads or served under the lox on my bagel, burping to follow.

[grasswire]

7. are they bitter?

are the skins tough?

I think I would seed and peel them, cut into cubes, and make a watermelon-cuke-feta-basil salad, OR put into a chilled gazpacho of some kind. End of summer cucumber gazpacho. Spanish style. Sounds delicious.

[mopinko]

8. not really bitter, not really tough skin

tho i would at least partially peel them. the biggest diff from the green is that the seeds are tougher.
the salad sounds perfect.
thanks

[Tesha]

9. I'd just make more...

refrigerator pickles. Wish we'd had more from our garden this year. I used the same recipe
for zucchini pickles and eggplant pickles - but everyone loves them, and they're disappearing
fast...

Sweet and Spicy Pickles
http://aperfectloaf.com/?page_id=429

A bit hot, they remind me a little of Thanksgiving for some reason

[mopinko]

10. yeah, we have enough pickles to last a while.

i usually make my mom's recipe for what she called bread and butter pickles, just a simple pickle to eat that day. tired of those, too.

[The empressof all]

11. No Mo....Don't do it

Just throw the cucumber in a blender with some v-8 juice and some hot sauce for a quick gazpacho. If you want to get rid of it just drink it

You also can just blend it and use it as a facial

Don't cook it.....Yuckies.


They're also pretty good diced or sliced fine with onion and served on a good brown bread with butter and cream cheese.

[mopinko]

12. yeah, i actually would rather have most summer squashes raw.

like them better on a veggie tray than cooked, unless it is really lightly.

i didn't do it, tho. i didn't want to have to explain myself.

[TygrBright]

13. Peel, dice small, add some salt, crush a handful of mint leaves and...

then shred them and add them to the cukes. Drop in enough Greek yogurt to moisten, then leave in the refrigerator for about half an hour or so, while the moisture from the cukes mingles with the yogurt.

BEST raita ever.

helpfully,
Bright