These were not good for pickling. Pickling cucumbers are small and young, with a bumpy, spiny skin to absorb the brine and dry, firm flesh that doesn’t get mushy and makes firm, flavorful pickles. Varieties used for pickling are Kirby, National and Boston pickling. Some of these looked like Kirby’s, but they were huge and fat. Others were thin-skinned salad cucumbers – but way more than I could use.

About 10 years ago, Mom’s garden had a glut of cucumbers. Then, my friend Brenda from Syracuse came to visit — and brought more cucumbers, because she, too, had an abundance of cukes in her garden! What to do?

That was the summer we discovered that cucumbers are not just for salads! Anything you can do with zucchini, you can do with cucumbers. And anything you can do with cucumbers, you can do with zucchini! Yes indeed! Serve them as a vegetable; stuff and serve as a main course; add them to soups, stews, stir-fries or casseroles. They can be sautéed, braised, steamed, microwaved, even baked. The delicate flavor of sautéed or braised cucumbers complements poultry or fish. You can even replace the zucchini in zucchini bread with shredded cucumbers!

Julia Child included a recipe for baked cucumbers in Mastering the Art of French Cooking way back in 1961 — and you can find Julia’s baked cucumber recipe on the Internet. Also among her recipes were Potage Aux Concombres (Cream of Cucumber Soup) and poached salmon in cucumber sauce.

Baked stuffed cukes (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

Of course, cucumbers are great in all types of salads! Toss them into salads of fresh greens, or stir them into potato, pasta or grain salads. Some ideas:

¯ Cut into sticks and eat with your favorite dip — like tzatziki or raita

¯ Slice and add to tossed salads

¯ Chop and stir into pasta, grain or potato salad

¯ Chop or slice and add to stir-fries towards the end of cooking

While zucchini and other summer squash are New World foods, cucumbers hail from the Old World — they originated in India, and made their way west through the Middle East to Greece, then other parts of Europe. They are also healthy — so eat up! Because they’re 96% water, they’re low in calories. They contain lots of fiber, and most of the vitamins and minerals you need: B complex (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6); vitamin C; folic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. The B vitamins provide energy when you’re feeling tired. The water, electrolytes and B vitamins can replenish essential nutrients, avoiding headaches and hangovers.

Here are some recipes to get you started cooking with cukes!

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Stir-Fried Chicken, Carrots & Cukes

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Ingredients:

1/2 lb. chicken breast

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 or 2 cloves garlic

2″ piece of ginger

1-2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 or 2 carrots

1 or 2 cucumbers

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3 to 4 scallions

Directions:

Cut chicken into strips. In a shallow bowl, combine soy sauce and vinegar. Peel and mince (or crush) garlic and ginger and add. Place chicken pieces in the sauce to coat; marinade 30 minutes. (This can be done early in the day and left to marinade longer).

Wash and slice a carrot. Peel the cucumber and cut in chunks. Set vegetables aside.

Heat oil in a wok or skillet to medium-high. Remove chicken from marinade (reserve marinade). Add to skillet and cook, turning, 3 to 4 minutes. Add carrots and cucumber, and cook 2 minutes more. Add cornstarch to the marinade, stir to combine and add to the skillet. Cut ends off scallions and slice; add. Cook until bubbly and thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve over rice or other grain. Serves two to three.

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Cucumber Salad

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Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 small clove of garlic

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 small cucumbers (about 3 cups, sliced or diced — you can substitute or combine with zucchini, if you wish)

1 bunch scallions or 1 sweet onion

1/2 bell pepper (red, green or yellow) diced

2 tomatoes (about 3 cups, diced)

Fresh chopped herbs, like dill (great with cucumbers), parsley or basil

Directions:

Place the oil in the bottom of the salad bowl. Crush the garlic with salt, and add. Whisk in lemon juice. Add the vegetables, except for the tomatoes, and stir to blend. Leave to marinade for an hour or longer. Stir in tomatoes and herbs right before serving. Serves four.

Option: garnish with feta or crumbled goat cheese.

Note: For a main-dish salad, add a little sharp cheese and chopped hard-cooked eggs or diced cooked chicken. You can also add a cooked grain like quinoa or rice or cooked pasta.

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Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market, Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite @yvonawrites.