Garden favorite can be versatile

Cucumbers are a reliable crop in my garden. They withstand drought, disease and critters to produce year after year.

This year is like most years, in that my cucumber plants do too well.

Now, a plain cucumber, freshly picked and still warm from the garden, maybe with a touch of salt, is a wonderful thing. My family eats them that way a lot.

I also love to toss them with onions and a bit of vinegar, or throw them into any kind of salad I’m making.

I like pickles—if I want to go to the trouble of making them—but I can eat only so many.

I can always unload some extras on neighbors and co-workers. But sometimes even then I’m left with a sizable number.

What do I do with all of them?

That question led me to look for other ways to use cukes. It turns out that this vegetable is a lot more versatile than most people realize.

Thinly sliced cukes are really nice on sandwiches. For a snack, I like to spread cream cheese on bread, then add cukes, salt and pepper and a few drops of rice-wine or another mild vinegar. This can be a more substantial sandwich with the addition of smoked salmon.

Cukes go well on most any other kind of sandwich, too. Think of them as a substitute for lettuce. They also make a great topping for any kind of seafood burger or fishcake.

One way to burn through some cucumbers is to drink them.

That’s right. The aqua frescas seen in Latin markets tend to be all made with fruit, but they can be made with some vegetables. Puree a bunch of cukes with some sugar and fresh lime juice, and it makes a refreshing drink on a hot day. This was a real nice surprise to me. After my first taste, I gulped the whole glass down in seconds.

I also thought of chilled soups. Cucumber is a component of traditional gazpacho, the Spanish summery cold soup that also contains tomatoes and bell peppers. Beyond that, cucumber shows up in creamy but refreshing soups made with yogurt and flavored with dill, mint or cilantro—three herbs that go well with cukes in all kinds of dishes.

Cukes often show up on vegetable trays with dips. But cukes also can be part of the dip itself. Whip up some raita, an Indian condiment that is a cousin to Greek tzatziki. This mixture of yogurt, grated cucumber and spices can serve as a low-calorie dip for vegetables or pita bread, or as a sauce for grilled meats.

Speaking of sauces, cucumber makes a great salsa with an unlikely partner—watermelon. Add a little mint, a little jalapeno, and it’s a super accompaniment to grilled seafood.

Why just add cucumbers to a standard tossed salad, when more interesting salads are out there? The salad recipe below pairs cucumber with pineapple, chiles and lime juice. Try it as a side dish for something spicy.

A real surprise is that cucumbers can be cooked, and they often are in Asian cuisine. Gently cooked so they still are still crisp, they add crunch to such stir-fries as the Korean beef recipe below.

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Cucumber Agua Fresca

Recipe from Bon Appétit Fresh Easy Fast (Wiley, 2008). To make just enough to fill one blender batch, cut all the amounts in half.

4 ½ cups peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped cucumber

4 cups cold water

2 cups ice cubes plus more for glasses

1 cup sugar

? cup fresh lime juice

2 large pinches of salt

1. Place half of each ingredient in a blender. Blend until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth but slushy, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a pitcher. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve over ice.

Makes 8 servings.

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Chilled Cucumber Soup With Shrimp

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics (Clarkson Potter, 2008) by Ina Garten.

3 7-ounce containers Greek yogurt (See Note)

1 cup half-and-half

2 hothouse cucumbers, unpeeled, seeded and chopped

½ cup chopped red onion

6 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)

½ pound cooked large shrimp, halved horizontally

Thin slices of lemon, halved, for garnish

Fresh dill sprigs for garnish

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt, half-and-half, cucumbers, red onions, scallions, salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture in batches to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until cucumbers are coarsely pureed. Transfer puree to another bowl. Continue with more batches until all of the mixture has been pureed.

2. Fold in the dill, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours, until very cold.

3. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice. Serve chilled, garnished with the shrimp, lemon slices and bits of dill sprigs.

Makes 6 servings.

Note: Greek yogurt is now sold in many supermarkets. It’s thicker and creamier that other yogurt. Some recipes specify Greek yogurt simply because it provides the right consistency. In other recipes, including this one, it’s not so critical. This soup will be creamier if you use Greek yogurt. But to use regular yogurt, you may want to slightly decrease the amount of half-and-half.

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Gujarati Cucumber Raita

Recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian (Clarkson Potter, 1999).

1 cup plain yogurt

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

? teaspoon cayenne

1 medium cucumber (about 5 inches long), peeled and grated

1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil

½ teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds

¼ teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1. Put the yogurt in a bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the salt, sugar and cayenne. Mix well. Add the cucumber and mix again.

2. Put the oil in a small frying pan set over medium-high heat. When hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, in a matter of seconds, pour the contents of the frying pan over the yogurt. Stir to mix. Keep chilled.

Makes 4 servings.

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Cucumber and Watermelon Salsa

This idea can be turned into a cold soup, too. To make a soup, add a squeeze of lime juice and puree some of the watermelon to give the mixture a soup consistency. I like this salsa with mint as a topping for fish, and with cilantro as a dip for tortilla chips. One jalapeno makes a very mild salsa.

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 to 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced, or more to taste

2 medium cucumbers (about 1 pound), peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced

1 to 1 ½ cups seeded and diced watermelon, drained

? cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or cilantro

Salt to taste

1. Stir the vinegar, sugar and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Let sit a few minutes until the sugar dissolves.

2. Add the cucumbers, watermelon, onion and mint or cilantro to the bowl. Toss well. Add salt to taste.

3. Cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Before serving, drain off excess liquid and add more salt if needed.

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Indonesian-Style Pineapple and Cucumber Salad

Recipe adapted from 300 Best Stir-Fry Recipes (Robert Rose, 2007) by Nancie McDermott. Be sure that the pineapple and cucumber are cut into the same-size chunks.

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 ½ cups chopped fresh pineapple or canned pineapple chunks

2 ½ cups chopped small cucumbers (See Note)

¼ cup chopped shallots (about 2) or red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh hot chiles, optional

1. In a large bowl, combine lime juice, granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt. Stir well into a smooth sauce.

2. Add pineapple, cucumber, shallots, cilantro and chiles, if using. Toss gently to mix everything well.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Note: If you want to use large, dark or waxed cucumbers, you will want to peel them and seed them first.

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Zesty Korean Beef With Cucumbers

Recipe adapted from 300 Best Stir-Fry Recipes (Robert Rose, 2007) by Nancie McDermott.

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon chicken stock or water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

8 ounces lean boneless beef, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ cup diced red bell pepper

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 ½ cups sliced cucumbers (¼ inch thick)

¼ cup chopped green onions

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, chicken stock, salt and sugar. Stir well. Add beef and stir to coat well.

2. Heat a wok or large deep skillet over high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add bell peppers and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add garlic and toss well, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

3. Add beef and spread into a single layer. Cook undisturbed until edges change color, about 1 minute. Toss well, and cook, tossing occasionally, 1 more minute.

4. Add cucumbers and toss well. Cook, tossing occasionally, until beef is cooked through and cucumbers are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Remove from heat and stir in green onions, pepper flakes and sesame oil. Divide among 4 plates and sprinkle a little cilantro over each serving. Serve with rice if desired.

Makes 4 servings.