July · San Diego
Persian cucumbers
Small, seedless, and thin-skinned, Persian cucumbers are at their crispest in summer. They need no peeling and almost no preparation.
How to choose it
- Firm along the entire length
- Deep, even green
- No soft spots or wrinkling
- Smaller is usually crisper
Buy this much: 4–6 cucumbers for one person for the week
Often one of the least expensive things in the basket. Sold in bags at most grocery stores — good value relative to how far they stretch across the week.
During the week
- Sliced beside the tomato plate
- Thin over a rice bowl
- Grated into yogurt for salmon
- Diced into tacos
On a weekend
Sliced with mint and lime beside the slow-roasted salmon.
One thing worth learning
Salt briefly before dressing and let the water draw out for a few minutes. The cucumber becomes more concentrated and holds its crunch longer.