Cute-cumbers.No, actually, more like creepy-cumbers.
At first. Until you tame them.
A tiny cucumber plant was sold to us at the farmers market as a "Japanese Cucumber." Oh, yeah! The slender, crisp ones; I want that.
She got big pretty quick. (It's Gwen, as you may recall.)
Then the cukes started to grow in evil, twisted shapes. With prickly spines! I had to wear gloves today to harvest these.
I thought they were so ugly, we'd have to peel them (we didn't) and then just look the other way while we ate. (In this picture, I've already rubbed off the spines with my gloved hands.)
But, sliced? Cute.
Wicked cute.
Monstrous cute.
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10 comments:
Make Gwen Pickles!
Seriously. I got this German Kraut-making crock for fermented pickles and it's the easiest thing in the world. My Grandfather made old-school garlic dill pickles this way and there is nothing better.
And poach those damn pears in wine... I add star anise, ginger, and black pepper as well, and then reduce the wine after with honey to make a syrup. They work best when they're not ripe. Marquis/Philips or similar Aussie wine is best. And they keep a long time if you can them (I would wait on the syrup reduction if you do so.)
I love my Japanese cucumbers. But, like you, I use gloves when I pick them and then rub the spines off before I handle them bare-handed in the kitchen!
Wow, I'd never heard of evil cucumbers with spines - that's bizzare.
I rather like a vegetable with a bit of personality - yours have attitude!
I want cucumber salad! Mine were in inch long, yesterday. I talked to them to give them encouragement "Grow, damn you, or else" Think that'll work?
Those look kind of scary. And with spines no less.
i got no cukes, but the squash-y plants are the same way, really really prickly! ouch! that looks cool as a ... oh, never mind!
Those are some sassy cukes. The kind sassy girls who love to eat cucumbers would enjoy. Bummer I don't live in your hood.
Chilebrown: Ooh. Yes. In the Japanese pickle pot.
Peter: I wonder how similar the German crock is to the Japanese pot! But yeah. Poach the pears. Flavorings. Not quite ripe. Wanna come over?
Jana: I just didn't know what I was getting into. I picked a fourth cuke today (with gloves) and it wasn't scary at all! Hee.
Mouse: Nature is a beast!
Katie: My dad says the best way for a (female) gardener to get the cukes to grow is to "flash" them. The ol' goat.
Dagny: Tender as can be. Sweet. Not scary.
Stacie: Hah, you poet. Yup, the squashy plants are bristly. Gotta deal with it, eh?
Vanessa: If you were nearby, you'd be going home tonight with a few.
Mike: It was underlit. A thin, see-thru cutting board on top of a glass tabletop outside. Lucky lighting, yes? Thank you, doll.
Anerable cute/creepy-cumbers! I lurve that you wrote lurve on my post yesterday! I don't know where that comes from, but I say it all the time too! Also, if there are any pears left over, you know I'll take some!
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