COOL AS A CUCUMBER!
At Kimberton CSA, Frank Kurylo’s dealing with a lot of cool customers. In fact, they’re kind of a “big dill.”
“They’re a little finicky,” he admitted. “They’re sensitive to cold, but they’re also sensitive to too much heat.”
It’s cucumber season, so go crazy for cukes!
One week, “we harvested 2,000 or so cucumbers. They’re extremely fast-growing,” said Kurylo, who offers four types. “They’re crunchy. They’re refreshing. They’re always cool.”
Hence the name Cool Customer, “which is a pickling variety.” Corinto’s “a traditional slicing cucumber.” Tyria’s a “long European variety.” And Salt and Pepper’s “a white and yellow, smaller cucumber.”
“People are a little afraid of them because they don’t see yellow cucumbers. They think they’re overripe,” he said. “I tell them to try one right there. I just give them one.” Tasting is believing. “They’re all cucumbers, so they can all be used the same,” explained Ola Creston of Taproot Farm in Shoemakersville. “If you like cucumbers, you would love all of these different cucumbers that we have,” including one called Little Potato that’s “delicious and fun.”
“It looks like a little muskmelon or kiwi. It’s brown on the outside. To me, it looks most like a cantaloupe,” she said. “It has that citrus flavor to it. It’s something that’s a little exotic that we can grow locally here in Pennsylvania.”
Curious? “Mix and match” Taproot’s varieties at the Ambler Farmers’ Market. And find Kimberton’s cukes at the Lansdale Farmers’ Market. Both also offer CSA shares, and they’re certified organic. So, buy some today and slice away!
“They’re great for a quick midday snack if you’re thirsty,” Kurylo described. “Even though they’re mostly water, there are still a lot of benefits” like vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and more.
Plus, “there are some good chemicals in cucumbers that kill bad breath,” he added with a laugh. “They’re a really great crop.”
Cucumber Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
2 cucumbers
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup green pepper
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup onion
1/4 cup celery
4 cups rice, cooked
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 eggs, beaten
Instructions
Prepare cucumbers: Peel, seed, halve then slice. Slice celery and green pepper. Sauté cucumbers, celery and green pepper. Add shrimp, salt and sugar. Chop the remaining onion and celery and stir-fry in oil. Add rice, soy sauce and eggs to the onion and stir-fry for a couple more minutes. Place rice mixture in bowl and pour cucumber-shrimp mixture over the top.
RECIPE COURTESY OF KIMBERTON CSA
Cucumber Dip
Ingredients
1/2 cup cucumber
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 clove garlic
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
3 tablespoons paprika
Instructions
Peel and finely chop cucumber. Mince garlic and parsley. Mix all ingredients well and chill at least 2 hours.
RECIPE COURTESY OF KIMBERTON CSA
Creamy Cucumber Soup
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion
2 large cucumbers
2 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 cup sour cream Salt
1 tablespoon dill weed
Instructions
Peel, seed and chop the cucumbers. Finely chop fresh dillweed. Sauté onion in hot oil until soft. Add the cucumbers and soup stock. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Puree the cucumber mixture in blender with sour cream and salt. Serve chilled and garnish with dillweed.
RECIPE COURTESY OF KIMBERTON CSA
At the bar…
This summer, mix it up with refreshingly cool cucumber cocktails like a Spicy Scoundrel from White Dog Cafe or a Boardroom Cucumber Martini – shaken, not stirred.
Another favorite: It’s Always Sunny in Souderton, featuring Boardroom Gin, lemon juice, cucumber water and basil simple syrup.
“It’s really nice and bright,” said Cody Ferdinand, co-owner of Northbound in Souderton, where a garden provides fresh herbs and veggies. “This is the first year. Over the next few years, I’m excited to grow the garden.”
Boardroom Cucumber Martini
Ingredients
2 ounces Boardroom Gin
1 ounce agave nectar
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice Fresh sliced cucumber Cucumber peel, to garnish
Instructions
Muddle 3 to 5 cucumber slices. Combine with gin, agave and lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with fresh cucumber peel.
RECIPE COURTESY OF BOARDROOM SPIRITS
Spicy Scoundrel
Ingredients
1 1/4 ounces Bluecoat gin
1 ounce Scoundrel mix
1/4 ounce agave simple syrup
1/4 ounce lime juice
1 dash saline solution Scoundrel mix: 2 cucumbers 1 jalapeño 5 sprigs cilantro 1 cup water
Instructions
For the Scoundrel mix: Combine in blender, puree. Strain through chinois. Yield: 1 quart.
In a shaker, add cocktail ingredients and ice. Shake, strain over ice and top with soda. Pour into a rocks glass and spray Barefoot Botanicals lemongrass essence. Garnish with a cucumber strip.
RECIPE COURTESY OF WHITE DOG CAFE
It’s Always Sunny in Souderton
Ingredients
2 ounces Boardroom Gin
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce cucumber water
1/2 ounce basil simple syrup Ice Cucumber slice for garnish Cucumber water:
1 peeled, seedless cucumber
1 ounce fresh lemon juice 1 ounce water
1/2 ounce simple syrup Basil simple syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
For the cucumber water: Add all ingredients to a blender or use an immersion blender until completely blended and smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Cover, cool and use within 3 days.
For the basil simple syrup: Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, add basil and let cool. Strain, cover and keep refrigerated for up to 10 days.
Fill a shaker with ice and all cocktail ingredients. Shake vigorously until well-chilled and strain into a martini or coupe glass. Garnish with cucumber slice and serve.
RECIPE COURTESY OF NORTHBOUND