Make herbed cheese cool in a cucumber

Cool and refreshing, cucumbers come to market with style. They can be long and skinny, emerald-hued, variegated greens or yellow and plump. Cucumbers range in flavor and texture, and are ready for salads, soups, sandwiches, pickles and drinks.

Take the elegant, thin, striped Armenian cucumber. It's delightfully crunchy, not at all watery and has few, if any, seeds. These are firm-fleshed, so when sliced thin and layered on sandwiches they won't weep or become soggy.

English cucumbers are deep green, seedless and, when grown commercially, are sold wrapped in plastic to protect them through shipping. Those harvested from nearby farms don't need such protection. Persian cucumbers, like the English variety, are also seedless, yet shorter and thinner. Both of these mild-tasting varieties make lovely summery drinks and smoothies. Cucumbers, after all, are technically a fruit.

Dark green common garden cucumbers are best early in the season because they tend to turn bitter and thick-skinned in the heat. You'll want to slice and remove the watery seeds before using.

Kirby cucumbers, short and bumpy, range from greenish-yellow to pale green. They hold their shape and flavor when pickled, earning them the name pickling cukes.

New to the market are lemon cucumbers, so called for their round shape and soft yellow color. Sweet but without that bitter edge, their skins are thin, the seeds are minimal and they spark salads, gazpacho or a mixed vegetable plate.

Cucumbers make terrific carriers for a range of fillings — soft herbed cheeses, hummus, bean dips, chopped tomatoes and olives and guacamole as well as chicken, tuna and shrimp salads. Whip these up last-minute to serve with drinks, tote to the beach or simply enjoy alongside a grilled hot dog or burger. That's what summer is all about.

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: Stuffed with fresh tangy chèvre that's sparked with garden herbs, this simple recipe can be readied in seconds. Make more chèvre than you plan on using; it's wonderful tossed with pasta, spread on sandwiches or served with crackers. Use your favorite soft herbs for this — basil, thyme, cilantro, chives, parsley — alone or in combination. The cheese may be prepared a day or two ahead and held in the refrigerator in a covered container ready to stuff into the cucumbers at the last minute. This is best with English or Persian cucumbers. From Beth Dooley.

• 2 Persian or English cucumbers

• 6 oz. chèvre

• 2 tbsp. finely fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, cilantro, basil, thyme

• Dash fresh lemon juice, to taste

• Pinch coarse black pepper, to taste

• Pinch red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

Cut the cucumbers in half horizontally. Using a teaspoon, hollow out and discard the center to create a trough.

In a small bowl, whip together the chèvre, herbs, lemon juice, pepper and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Spoon the chèvre into the cucumber halves and serve right away.

Beth Dooley is the author of "The Perennial Kitchen." Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.