When it comes to gardening, one of our family favorites is the lemon cucumber. We love cucumbers of all types, including ones for pickling, japanese heirlooms, and sweet armenians that we like to pick when they are very young. But any time we can plant something colorful (yellow cucumbers, purple beans, pink chard) over plain 'ole green, we will. Not only is it more beautiful to look at but it is so much easier to find veggies in your garden. I can not tell you how many sugar snap peas we have overlooked and when a pea is allowed to mature it sends a message to the vine to stop growing. It has reproduced viable seeds. It has done its job as a parent plant. I would much prefer a purple pea that I can see in that jungle of knarly (but delicious) vines. It is the same for any plant. The more you harvest, the more it will grow with the ultimate goal to eventually flower, fruit and then seed. Keep this in mind at the end of the season when you want to collect seeds. Allow one of your favorite tomatoes, squash, peas, cucumber get really big and then you can dry and save the seeds for next year. We'll save seeds later this year together but let's get started with cucumbers!
:: PLANT ::
When choosing what to plant in your garden, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the Common Grounds planting guide. They have done the hard work in their test garden over the years to create a wonderful starting point for all of us in the bay area.
I also like to stagger plantings so I have crops long into the season. The easiest way to do this is to plant seedlings and seeds at the same time. When you pick up lettuce seedlings at your local nursery, pick up a packet of seeds too. Then you will have a perfectly staggered harvest.
Some veggies are hard to find as seedlings (like the lemon cucumber) so here is a little trick to give your home sowing a jumpstart. SOAK YOUR SEEDS! Simply take the seeds you want to plant and soak them in water the day before. I have been known to soak even longer until germination actually begins on my countertop, then I place the sprouted seeds in the ground and voila. Speed gardening at its best.
As a general rule of thumb, you want to plant seeds at a depth that is the size of its diameter. So if a cucmber seed is about the size of your fingernail, simply stick your finger into the soil down to slightly past your nail, then drop the seed in. Cover with dirt and lightly tamp.
:: PICK ::
Cucumbers are best picked young. The smaller they are the sweeter they seem to be. And if your cucumbers are a little prickly, and they will be because they are so fresh, simply pick using a kitchen towel. Wrap the cucumber in the cloth, rub the spines off then place in your harvest basket.
:: PLATE ::
Cucumbers are delicious simply sprinkled with salt or vinegar and dill but the girls love this dip for their veggies. Similar to a "ranch" dip but without all the junk. Sorry hidden valley.
"Dada, sorry you can't dip with the cucumbers. We devoured them first!" Grace, age 6
Homemade Veggie Dip
"Dada, sorry you can't dip with the cucumbers. We devoured them first!" Grace, age 6
Homemade Veggie Dip
1/4 cup yogurt (homemade, full fat, greek)
1/4 mayonnaise (use a good one or make your own)
pinch of salt
grind of pepper
1 clove pressed garlic
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp coriander
