I learned long ago that, unless I wanted to be eating zucchini at ever meal for three months, it is best not to plant it at home. Besides, when they are in season they are so inexpensive that you can buy as many as you want for very little money - and if your neighbors decide to plant them, you'll probably have plenty of free ones anyway. But just because I don't plant zucchini doesn't mean that I don't have vegetable problems. While some people have problems with zucchini overrunning their gardens during the summer, I have a problem with cucumbers.
Over the past two days, I have accumulated roughly 30 pounds of cucumbers, both English and Japanese. Though I didn't try to pile them all into one photo, for reference, the cucumber in the center of this picture measures 11"x4" and weighs just over 2.5-pounds. And it's not the biggest that I have at the moment. The one in the fridge looks remarkably similar to a baseball bat.
I gave some away and used those I harvested last week to make massive batches of tzatziki and cucumber salad (my recipe below). I love tzatziki and salads, but I suspect that they might start to get a little boring over the next few weeks. Aside from making pickles, which I don't feel inclined to do because I don't want to go out and find lots of canning jars, what else can I do with them that will let me use a lot?
Nicole's Cucumber Salad
2 large cucumbers
1/4 - 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
6 tbsp plain yogurt (Greek-style, if possible, or sour cream)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried dill
Salt and pepper, to taste
Peel cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds with a spoon. Chop into half-moon shaped slices. Pat dry with paper towels to remove some excess moisture.
Toss cucumber in large bowl with onions (I use 1/2 onion), yogurt, vinegar, sugar and dill, then add salt and pepper generously to taste.
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