I am switching gears for the next few weeks.

The harvest is in full swing and I want to share as many recipes as I can with you. I will feature a different fruit or vegetable each column.

This week the lucky featured veggies are cucumbers. The market is full of fresh, sweet, cucumbers that are just begging to be sliced for salad, pureed for soup, or pickled in sweet or savory brine.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy cucumbers is sliced thinly and added to a tall pitcher of iced water. Makes me think I am at the spa.

Did you know that cucumbers contain silica? Silica is an essential component of connective tissue and is therefore very good for the skin. Cucumber has been used topically to treat dermatitis, sunburn, and swelling around the eyes.

Cucumbers contain significant amounts of ascorbic and caffeic acids which makes eating them helpful in preventing fluid retention.

Wow, who knew?

Blossom Hill Farm, Ueki Flowers, and my neighbor Jan all shared their favorite cucumber recipes for the column this week.

What I love is the ease and speed it takes to prepare these recipes. I didn’t make the pickles, Jan gave me a jar. Thank you Jan!

I made the rest of the recipes in less than 30 minutes. One piece of advice when preparing dishes with pickles — they really benefit from being chilled. Two hours minimum and four hours are better. The chilling time mellows out the acid, in this case vinegar or lemon juice. Chilling also allows the flavors to combine.

In addition, please remember that cooking is a process. You may try a recipe and think it is too tart or you might not like so many red onions. You may want to substitute yogurt for the sour cream in the salad recipe. Just adjust the recipes, they aren’t written in stone.

The markets are full of summer bounty. Stop by the market and ask a farmer for their favorite recipe. Not only do they grow and raise great food, many are also talented cooks.

Carol Arnold is marketing manager of the Foothill Farmers’ Market Association. Reach her at foothillfarmersmarket@gmail.

com.

Aunt Jerry’s Icebox Pickles

7 cups sliced English cucumbers, unpeeled

2 large white onions, sliced

1 green pepper sliced

1 red pepper sliced

1 tablespoon salt

5 pint jars

5 sticks cinnamon

5 whole cloves

5 pinches celery seed

Pickling Liquid:

1 cup vinegar

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pickling spice

Place cucumbers and salt in 2 quarts of water and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.

Boil and cool the ingredients for the pickling liquid.

Pack cucumbers, onion, and peppers in pint jars. Place one cinnamon stick, one whole clove and a pinch of celery seed in each jar.

Pour picking juice through a sieve to remove pickling spices and then pour over the cucumbers. Refrigerate at least 24 hours before serving. Will keep up to six months in refrigerator.

Cucumber Soup with Dill and Green Onion

5 large Armenian or Persian cucumbers, peeled, quartered and seeded, divided use

1 bunch green onions, divided use

4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 large lemons, juiced

4 cups buttermilk

1 cup plain yogurt

Salt

Freshly ground white pepper

Dash of tobacco sauce

Thinly slice half of the cucumbers. Thinly slice half of the green onions. Set aside.

Coarsely chop the remaining cucumbers and green onions and transfer to a large bowl. Add the dill, garlic, lemon juice, buttermilk, and yogurt, and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper and puree in blender until liquefied.

Transfer to a large bowl and add the reserved sliced cucumbers and scallions. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste. Chill for at least two hours in the refrigerator.

Ueki’s Cucumber Namasu

3 six-inch Persian or Armenian cucumbers

½ teaspoon salt

1 lemon, juiced

Sauce:

¼ cup white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Heat the sauce for 45 seconds in the microwave. Cool while salting cucumbers.

Slice cucumbers thinly on the diagonal. Sprinkle lightly with salt and set aside for 10 to 30 minutes. Gently squeeze out water using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.

Pour sauce over cucumbers. Add lemon juice. Toss well. Chill thoroughly.

Blossom Hill Sour Cream Cucumbers

3 Armenian cucumbers, sliced thinly

½ red onion, sliced thinly and then cut in thirds

½ teaspoon salt

Sauce:

¾ cup sour cream or plain yogurt

¼ cup vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dill, chopped finely, optional

Slice cucumbers. Salt. Let rest for 30 minutes. Gently squeeze out water using a kitchen towel or paper towels.

Mix together sauce ingredients. Pour over cucumbers and onions. Chill thoroughly.