Beekman 1802 - Braised Cucumbers

Braised cucumbers. Photo: Brent Ridge, Beekman 1802.

Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell are the farmers and innovators behind Beekman 1802, a 200-year-old estate and farm in upstate New York. We'll be running recipes, gorgeous photos and tales from the farm as their crops come into season.

By Brent Ridge with Sandy Gluck

Like many people who love food (and watching cooking shows on TV), I plopped myself down in a cool theater during last week's heat wave to watch Meryl Streep expertly channel Julia Child.

What stuck with me after leaving the theater was not Streep's pitch-perfect accent, but the very brief mention of a recipe for braised cucumbers.

It is quite possible that my brain latched onto this because at the very moment I was having a conundrum with what to do with all the cucumbers we've been blessed with from the heirloom garden this year (after a disastrous beetle infestation in 2008).

Our heirloom cukes and an amazing recipe after the jump.

In this year's garden we are growing:

Lemon Cucumber An unusual variety, originally from Australia, but cultivated for more than a century in the .. The vines produce ovoid, pale yellow fruits with crisp white flesh, 2 to 3 inches long. When skin is translucent, fruits are good for slicing. As plants mature, skin turns golden yellow and fruits are better for pickling.

Boston Pickling Cucumber Introduced around 1880, this has always been a popular and consistent variety producing small, dark green, smooth skinned fruits with black spines, 5 6 in. long. Used primarily for pickling.

West Indian Burr Gherkin This cucumber is actually a separate species, but it is the original fruit used for pickling gherkins. It was first introduced into the U.S. from Jamaica in 1793, and probably originated in Africa. The 2 to 3 inch long fruit is covered with large, prickly burrs. Very distinctive taste.

Long White Cucumber This is a very rare heirloom which can grow to 6 pounds and is excellent both in salads and fresh sliced. Smooth white-skinned fruit has very crisp, mild tasting flesh.

Chicago Pickling Cucumber Introduced in 1888, this variety originated outside of Chicago. It has been used for making dill pickles for over a century. Vines produce medium green, blunt ended fruits, 5 to 6 inches long with thin, warty skin. Plants are disease-resistant and prolific.

Long Green Cucumber Introduced in 1842, this variety is related to an older variety, 'Long Green Turkey,' grown in the 1700s. Plants are vigorous, productive and reliable. Fruits are 10 to 12 inches long, medium green with black spines. Good for pickling or slicing.

Cucumbers become meltingly tender when cooked. The combination of rich butter and salt and the undeniable taste of summer that only a cucumber can provide will make our recipe a classic on your table for years to come (and means a few less jars of pickles sitting on your shelf)!

Having already canned 16 quarts of pickles in every imaginable variety, I was eager to give a new cucumber recipe a try. Alas, in my edition of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I could not find the recipe for braised cucumbers.

But the craving could not be subdued, so Sandy and I came up with our own.

Braised Cucumbers

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 leek, white and tender green parts, diced and well washed
6 cucumbers, peeled in stripes with a vegetable peeler, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons 1/2 inch thick
coarse salt (any cucumber variety is best)
Fresh dill, snipped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally until the leek is tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cucumbers, season with salt and toss to coat. Add 1/4 cup of water and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter and cover the pan. Cook 3 minutes or until the cucumbers are crisp-tender. Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium, add the dill, if using, and cook until the liquid has almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes more.