When summer is in full force, cucumbers follow suit in the most overwhelming fashion. They are piled high on the shelves of every grocery store, where they sell for a pittance. You’ll find them in all shapes and sizes at your local farmers’ market. And, if you happen to be growing a couple of plants in your backyard, by now your harvest is so abundant that you’re giving your cukes to anyone who will take them!
So what do you do with all these cukes?
The first cucumber sandwiches are exciting and delicious for sure, as well as the summer tossed salads with lots of cucumber in it, but if that’s all you do with your cucumbers, soon enough you’ll have lost your enthusiasm for this prolific veggie.
But cucumbers happen to be very versatile. And with a little creativity, they lend themselves to many wonderful dishes… like this recipe. Julienned into linguini size strips and tossed with fresh mint and a zingy vinaigrette, cucumbers here make for a very refreshing – not to mention stylish – appetizer. The fried capers that adorn this simple dish add an irresistible salty bite, a perfect contrast to the slightly sweet cukes.
By the way, the cucumbers you see in these photographs come from my own garden. I planted two Burpless seedless cucumber plants this spring and they now produce a dozen large cucumbers every week. I’m not giving mine away yet, though; because I’m experimenting like crazy… So you might see a few more cucumber recipes on this blog before summer is over!
Food & wine pairing: Rías Baixas, Albariño with cucumber linguini
With this appetizer I recommend serving a crisp, mineral-laden Albariño from Rías Baixas in northwestern Spain. The wine’s vibrant acidity is gorgeous with the cucumber and its inherent minerality pairs well with the briny capers.
Cucumber linguini with fresh mint and fried capers
serves 4
active time: 15 min
For the vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground white pepper to taste
For the cucumber linguini
- 2 large seedless cucumbers (2 1/2 lbs) (1.1 kg) – peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 12 large mint leaves – cut en chiffonade
- 6 golden cherry tomatoes – halved
- 1/2 recipe fried capers
- freshly ground white pepper
- Step 1: For the vinaigrette – Place all the ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until well blended and set aside.
- Step 2: Cut the cucumbers crosswise in 6″ sections. Using a mandoline, julienne the flesh of the cucumber but not the seedy centers. (You should end up with 4 cups of julienned pieces). Place the cucumber strips in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt, mix well with your hands and let stand for 30 minutes.
- Step 3: Drain the cucumber in a medium sieve and press down with a wooden spoon to remove all excess juices. Place the cucumber in a medium bowl. Add the fresh mint and the vinaigrette. Toss until well mixed. Spoon into four appetizer bowls. Garnish each bowl with 3 cherry tomato halves and a spoonful of fried capers. Sprinkle with white pepper and serve immediately.
Viviane’s tips
- When cutting the cucumber in julienne strips, slice only until you reach the seedy center. Then turn the cucumber around, and continue slicing until all the flesh has been cut and only the seeds are left.
- This is what it looks like when the job is done.
- Alternatively, if you do not have a mandoline, you can slice the cucumbers by hand, using a vegetable hand-peeler. It’ll take a few more minutes, but it’ll do a good job. Your dish will look more like cucumber fettuccine though!
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Very good recipe, I did make the exact recipe and it was great
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A very stylish and tasty cucumber salad.
I already feel cooler just to look at the pictures. It is perfect for the hot summery weather! Yum!
I’m going to have to get over my fear of using a mandoline. My mother bought me one, but I’ve been so afraid of the sharp blade that I haven’t used it. These cucumber linguine noodles are an inspiration to give it another try.
Kristi, the mandoline will open so many new potentials for you and for your cooking. Yes, you do need to be very careful, those blades are indeed very sharp. But go slowly at first and you can also buy one of these protecting gloves until you feel more confident with it: http://www.chefcentral.com/Victorinox-Cut-Resistant-Glove-Size-Medium-P1507C199.aspx Good luck and thank you for your wonderful words too!
Very creative recipe, I am thinking of trying the exact same recipe and substituting cucumber with zucchini, or maybe 50% cucumber 50% zucchini or maybe try all three combinations and see what works best.
Very creative and very pretty. Congratulations on being in the Top 9!
This dish looks absolutely lovely, Viviane! You had me at fried capers. Congrats on a well-deserved Top 9!
Thank you so much Meagan – I’m smiling from hear ot ear!!!
Congrats on the top 9! I am a new follower!
Love fresh cucumbers. That dish looks so appealing.
this sounds de-lish. And your photos are beautiful!
Ive never heard of fried capers! These bowls are simply beautiful. My father would love them as he is a huge fan of cucumber.
Everyone, thank you for stopping by and for your wonderful comments – as always, you all make my day!
It’s unusual to see a recipe where cucumber really is the star. I love what you’ve done here and also the idea of fried capers.
Thank you Corina… You are so right! To me, every vegetable is a star, no matter how humble it might be.
I definitely have to agree with that! This is such a great recipe, thanks for sharing. 🙂 I really hate wasting anything so I was wondering if you knew of any way to use the seedy center? Thanks again!
I saw your fried caper recipe the other day and was wondering how I could incorporate it into a more substantial recipe (I would LOVE capers alone, but my roommates who are my food guinea pigs might be a little hesitant) and this looks absolutely perfect!
Mandy, the fried capers are unbelievably intense and go well with this dish because the cucumbers are very mild-flavored. But you can sprinkle them on lots of different things. So if you make them, don’t be shy… experiment.
This dish sound delicious and is SO elegant…I love it!
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What a neat idea!! Totally want some of this!
i agree this salad is really good for hot summer day, so refreshing 🙂 i would love to try those fried capers too.
Beautiful dish! Your own cucumbers too, so lucky 🙂 Buzzed!
Thank you for the buzz dear – Yes, I know I’m lucky!
This salad sounds like it would be so refreshing on a hot day… and those fried capers sound positively divine!
I’m jealous of your cucumber plants. We had three vines in our backyard vegetable patch last year, but we only managed to get two mature cucumbers at the end of summer. 🙁 I’m sure this will taste just as good with store-bought cucumbers, though.
Isabelle, Cucumber plants are heavy feeders (as gardeners say). You need to plant them with a lot of compost and fertilize with nitrogen rich fertilizer like liquid seaweed once a month. Then they will give you an incredible supply of cucumbers. I hope you plant them again next year!
wow, this looks so good…cucumber linguine! What a great idea!!
No worries… My husband did go insane!
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Fried capers?! My fiance would go insane!