Sauté of Cucumbers with Tomatoes

I do get a lot of interesting looks when I mention cooking cucumbers, but they are really good. Much of their appeal rests on cooking just enough so they get hot all the way through, but are still succulent and crisp. This dish relies on temperature contrasts (hot cucumbers and cold tomatoes) and sweet/bitter contrasts (cucumber has a slight bitterness in the background, tomato has a slight acidity, and they both have sweetness) for interest. A very simple dish that is easy to play with; add garlic, basil, pine nuts, etc. for variation.

INGREDIENTS:

4 heaping cups firm cucumbers, peeled and seeded, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 heaping cups sweet, not soft but not hard, ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into ¼-inch cubes, chilled for 20 minutes before making the dish.

Arbosana olive oil, or a neutral flavored oil as needed, but used as sparingly as possible

Salt to taste and a very small pinch of pepper for the tomatoes

1 scant teaspoon fresh small marjoram leaves lightly chopped

METHOD:

When ready to start the dish, pull tomatoes from refrigerator.

Heat a 10-12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, film lightly with oil. When the oil is hot, add cucumbers. Be careful as oil may spatter from water in the cucumber. Immediately toss in oil to coat all sides. Cook, tossing every minute or two. The idea is to heat the cukes all the way through, softening only the outside just a little without coloring them. When the cucumber is heated through-around 6-8 minutes- scatter with a little salt and half the herbs. Give a few tosses and cook 30 seconds more to wake up the herbs. Pour cucumbers onto a serving platter.

(Hot Version) If you wish, you could heat the tomatoes for a minute or two if you want an entirely hot dish. If so, add a little oil to pan, add rest of herbs and tomatoes, and then some pepper. Cook 2 minutes and pour onto cucumbers.

To finish the dish, sprinkle salt and a bare pinch of pepper over the tomatoes. Add the rest of the herbs and toss in the bowl. Scatter over the tomatoes, and serve.

Chef’s Notes: Add mince garlic with the cucumbers, or add piñons or pistachios. Toss with a pile of shredded mint or basil. Don’t go hog wild with the additions because you still want to taste the subtle flavors of cucumbers and tomatoes.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen