Lemon Cucumber

So, there is nothing I like better than taking some weird ingredient and trying to figure out what to do with it.

I have posted about my own container gardening exploits but have yet to mention that I have a co-gardener across the city with a much bigger, and sunnier, balcony. Among the other things (like delicious strawberries) that are going on over there, is a complete experiment that we bought on a whim at Home Depot. Enter, the lemon cucumber. I don't know about you, but I'd never even heard about this thing... check it out:

(yes, the lemon cucumber is on a desk in front of a laptop. that is not my laptop, because I am 100% Mac  all the way. the cuc took a detour on the way to my house and went to my co-gardener's workplace so he could show it off).

If you look inside, its basically like a cucumber, but with more seeds and shaped like a lemon. The skin has little rough nubs on it but they rub off easily when you wash it. The skin itself is thin enough to eat, although apparently the earlier you pick, the better.

To test this thing out, we perused the internet for something simple, so we could actually figure out what it tastes like (turns out, just tastes like a cucumber). We landed on slices of cucumber with toasted sesame seeds and salt pressed on them (just toast the seeds, stir in salt, put in a dish and lay the slices on it so the seeds stick), paired with a nice chardonnay (since we always snack elegantly).

The verdict? the cucumber is fine. I don't think this is our favorite way to eat it, but there is potential, maybe if some additional flavor was incorporated. Fortunately, this plant is PROLIFIC, so we have a lot more chances! Stay tuned...