It's A Cucumber

According to my seed-sharing neighbor, Lisa, the odd green produce in the photo below is called an Italian cucumber. I concur that it's definitely a variety of cucumber. The flesh looks and tastes like a cucumber, although the skin is thinner and the seeds are larger than more common cucumber variations. As for it being Italian, I have no idea if this is true, and I have yet to corroborate this fact. For the record, Lisa's parents are of Italian descent and own a vineyard in Napa, so I'm inclined to take her at her word.

Ethnicity aside, our curious cucumber stepped up to plate last night and became the mainstay in a sauce that I paired with salmon fillets that were sauteed briefly in olive oil and lemon juice. Take this recipe, and enjoy. I adapted it from the current issue of Bon Appetit.

Green Gazpacho Sauce (for fish or whatever else you want to marry it to)

1 cucumber (any variety), seeded and roughly chopped, measuring about 1 1/2 cups
3 or 4 green onions, using both white and green parts, roughly chopped
Handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice
salt to taste

In a food processor or blender, combine the cucumber, green onions and the cilantro. Pulse until mixture is pureed. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the vinegar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and some salt. Pulse a few times until combined. At this point, I advise tasting the sauce. If it seems too dry or the flavors aren't vibrant enough, add the additional olive oil and the lemon juice. Chill for about an hour before serving. Makes enough for 4 as an accompaniment. Great paired with sauteed or grilled salmon. (FYI: The recipe that appeared in Bon Appetit added serrano chiles and omitted the lemon juice. The magazine paired it with seared mahi-mahi.)