Yeah, a cucumber.

I’ve never thought of the cucumber as particularly cool. Crisp and juicy? Yes. Cool? Well . . ..

Before I start rambling on about the hipness of this vegetable, I should admit that its coolness refers not to trendiness but to temperature — quite simply, a cucumber feels cool to the touch. Yet, this member of the gourd family offers far more than catch phrases and temperature gauges. Available year-round, it’s a staple ingredient in many dishes and a star in its own right.

Rumored to have originated in South India, the cucumber has been cultivated for at least 4,000 years. In spite of its longstanding popularity, it didn’t arrive in North America until the late 15th century. Christopher Columbus introduced the first cucumber to Haiti in 1494. From there demand for this crunchy, green vegetable spread.

And just what do people do with all these cucumbers? A third of the roughly 100 varieties grown are used for pickling. The rest we eat in salads, from crudite platters, in dips, and as garnishes or soups.

One of my favorite cuke offerings consists of chopped cucumbers, thinly sliced red onion, diced kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese. Making this dish couldn’t be easier. Just toss the cucumbers and onions in a bowl. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and ground white pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and then refrigerate. Because cucumbers are 96 percent water, you’ll want to hold off on adding the salty cheese and olives until right before serving. Otherwise, you’ll end up with something more reminiscent of a soup than a salad.

Salads aren’t the only simple cucumber dishes. Dress sliced cucumbers with yogurt and add either a little coriander, mint or garlic and you’ve made Indian raita, Greek tzatziki or Turkish cacik. Place wafer-thin cucumber slices between two pieces of buttered bread for a traditional English tea sandwich. Spoon a dab of creme fraiche or cream cheese, sliver of smoked salmon and sprig of fresh dill on top of a cucumber slice and you’ve got a quick and tasty appetizer. Puree cucumbers with avocados, garlic, and chicken stock and you’ll have a delicious summer soup, courtesy of Canal House Cooking Volume 4.

Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rounds

Makes approximately 30 rounds

2 large unwaxed cucumbers, washed

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

Grated zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white ground pepper

1 (4-ounce) package smoked salmon, cut into 1-inch strips

Fresh dill

Slice the cucumbers into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place them on a platter.

In a medium size bowl stir together the mascarpone cheese, lemon zest and juice, salt and white ground pepper, mixing until combined.

To assemble the smoked salmon cucumber rounds, place a slice of smoked salmon on top of each cucumber slice. Using either a piping bag or teaspoon, put 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of mascarpone on each piece of salmon. Top each with a sprig of dill. Refrigerate until ready to serve.