Too Cuke for Words

As a result of hybridizing, there are now hundreds of varieties of cucumbers. Most were engineered to resist plant diseases--various mildews, scale and the like--and now cucumbers grow nearly everywhere, from hot, arid climates to cooler, damp ones. A happy fate for cooks.

You’ll find cucumbers in yogurt on the Indian table, where it mollifies the heat of curry dishes. In Eastern Europe you find sweet and sour cucumber salads accompanying braised short ribs of beef, cutting the richness of the meat. In Thailand a similar marinated salad accompanies satay skewers. Dainty cucumber sandwiches grace caddys in London parlors during tea time. In America dinner salads in restaurants are garnished with cucumber slices.

The daunting number of cucumber varieties might pose a problem for the kitchen gardener, but not for the cook. There are only a few things to consider.

Are you going to cook the cucumber or eat it raw? Cucumbers that are eaten raw in salads are the long, sleek ones falling into the category of slicers. Most common in this group are the dark green, thick-skinned cukes and the paler, longer-ribbed variety often called hot house or English cucumbers.

Which to use? First and foremost to consider is taste. I like a slightly bitter cucumber. The bitter-tasting ones have the thickest skins. Peeling makes them more agreeable to eat, and also eliminates the part closest to the skin that often gives people gas.

English cucumbers are perfectly fine without peeling. They’re sweeter and less flavorful than the thick-skinned varieties. I use peeled bitter cucumbers for marinating because the more robust flavor stands up better to the sweet, salt and sour elements. For eating in salads or making cucumber sandwiches, though, I prefer the gentler English variety.

The cucumbers that most resemble the cucumbers of the ancients are the pickling varieties. These can range anywhere from tiny gherkins to nearly the size of thick-skinned slicers. They are irregular in shape and warty, with mottled skins. They also have a dense flesh that makes them perfect candidates for pickling and cooking.

Cooked cucumbers are a delight. They retain a certain crunchiness, yet absorb the flavor of the butter or olive oil they are cook in. Their mild astringency favors them as a side dish with rich poultry and white meat dishes.

ROAST VEAL CHOPS WITH MUSTARD AND CUCUMBER

1/2 cucumber

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth

1 tablespoon oil

4 veal loin chops

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Peel cucumber and scoop out and reserve seeds. Cut pulp into 1/4x2-inch julienne strips and set aside for garnish.

Combine cucumber seeds, mustard and broth in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until liquid thickens enough to coat wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, heat oil in 12-inch oven-proof skillet over high heat until nearly smoking. Add chops and brown well on both sides, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard cooking fat. Place skillet in oven. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees until cooked to medium doneness, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove thickened broth mixture from heat. Whisk in butter. Strain sauce into sauceboat, discarding seeds. Place chops on serving platter and pour sauce over top. Garnish each chop with reserved julienne strips of cucumber.

Makes 4 servings.