Lemon Cucumbers
My mom and dad have had a backyard garden ever since I can remember. Many of my childhood summers involved weeding, watering, and otherwise tending to that garden, and I hated every minute of it. That garden was such a summertime buzzkill, but I loved everything my mom would make with the bounty. Before Uwajimaya came into Beaverton, my parents and Brian Gin's parents would grow all sorts of Chinese veggies no one could find. Daikon, bok-choy, Chinese mustard greens, gai-lan, yard-long beans, Chinese eggplant, bittermelon, peppers, han-toi, Asian pears... We always had such an abundance of fresh fruit and veggies, and there was always something wonderful being made with them.
All of this came back to me when I got my organic delivery box last night. That veggie box, unfortunately, is the closest thing I can get right now to having a garden of my own. Included were 2 small lemon cucumbers, which I haven't even seen since I was maybe 10 or so. My parents stopped growing them in the garden because they tend to kind of take over. I remember sometimes we'd have several paper grocery bags full of lemon cucumbers from only 1 or 2 plants! My mom would slice them thin and marinate them in Italian dressing, and we'd eat them with EVERY meal. It could be Chinese food, fajitas, or spaghetti... There'd always be a little bowl of lemon cucumber salad. It was so good - light and fresh and just perfectly tart. I made myself tub of lemon cucumber salad this morning, and am now in absolute comfort food heaven.
:D That's a big smile. I had a pretty damn great childhood, and wonderful parents. All is well.