GET ME TO THE GREEK...YOGHURT AND CUCUMBERS THAT IS...
No, those aren't gourds you are looking at. Yes, they look very much like them. But no, they were a very nice gift
from a friend's garden here in Monmouth County, NJ today. My friend John handed me the bag with these two golden
orbs and said these are for you..do something with them. I opened the bag and looked in confused..you can't eat
gourds. Before I could say anything he said they were a type of cucumber he grew, no idea what the name was, when
I get home, he suggested I Google them. I'm very compliant. A quick Google search brought up lots of sites which
explain and give growing a recipe tips for the LEMON CUCUMBER. All of them tell you that the skin is thin, the
flesh is sweeter than a regular variety, and the lemon refers to their color and shape only..nothing lemony about their
taste. While today's date is September 1 we still are in summer so I thought a salad for lunch would be the best
way to showcase these beauties. After opening the fridge I saw the mint and Greek Yoghurt I bought last night and
knew how to proceed from here. Cucumbers are a popular vegetable on the Greek table..who doesn't love Tzatziki?
You don't know what that is? Once you do, you will make it over and over again. It's a MEZE, or appetizer that
serves as a condiment for Greek grilled meat sandwiches or as a dip with pita or other breads. A rustic combination
of chopped drained cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, pepper and Greek Yoghurt, it's refreshing and clean. I used
those basics to make this salad, not a Tsatziki, but the basic idea came from that dish.
I sliced the cucumbers, they were not as watery as a green one. Coarsely chop the leaves from 2 stems of fresh
mint, finely dice enough red onion to give you 2 tbs., combine them with 1/8 cup of Greek Yoghurt, 1 tsp. of
Red Wine Vinegar, 1 tsp. of honey, 1/2 tsp. ground allspice, 1/2 tsp. ground black or pink pepper, 1/8 tsp. of
kosher salt, blend well.
Add the slices from your 2 or 3 Lemon Cucumbers or from 3 regular sliced cucumbers. Let this sit at room tempera-
ture for one hour. Taste for seasonings and serve garnished with red onion rings, additional ground pepper and
more mint leaves. The flavors are sensational. I make no claim to this being an "authentic" Greek dish, only that
those wonderful exotic flavors that permeate their cuisine can be found in this dish. Really, it's a nice switch up
from the usual sour cream, dill, onion and cucumber salad..which is also delicious, but this is just a little more...
Greek.
If you find your missing something with this meal (maybe not), skewer some marinated lamb chunks and grill
them serving them with pita and Greek Olives and Feta...or just as is..with some warm pita or pita chips..you
can make this a meal or part of an assortment of foods. This is certainly a good time of the year to really
search those local Farmer's Markets for the not-your-everyday fruits and vegetables. Or, hope you have a friend
like John who shows up in the morning with a bag of local produce that he grew in his own yard.
Posted by peter battaglia at 9/1/2011 10:53 PM 
Categories: CUCUMBER, GREEK, salad
Tags: GREEK CUCUMBER SALAD red onion
Categories: CUCUMBER, GREEK, salad
Tags: GREEK CUCUMBER SALAD red onion
Very interesting...I have never seen nor heard of Lemon Cucumbers...excellent choices on your salad plate!
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leave it to you to display these cucs.
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