Strange but GOOD: Charred Persian Cucumbers

I love the blog Lottie & Doof.

Tim is a bit negative at times, but posts great travel pics, and he loves to bake.
Anything he posts I know is going to be good. He hates lemon zest, btw. Oh well, his loss.

Recently, he posted charred Persian cucumbers with a disgusting sounding tumeric crema from the Wisconsin restaurant, Estrellon.

It sounded so odd, roasting a cucumber?
Hey, why not? They are a gourd, and they certainly have more flavor than the dopey zucchini (which is flavorless!).
He swore these were delicious, and they were.

I skipped the crema, and made my own concoction with tahini (ground sesame seeds) and pomegranate molasses.
Feel free to just place on a bed of store bought hummus.

You will not believe how delicious these little treats were!

Make sure you are using the tiny Persian cukes, which have much less water than a regular cucumber (which I don't think would work here).

Charred Persian Cucumbers:

5 Persian cucumbers (not regular ones), sliced in half, lengthwise
kosher salt & pepper
olive oil

Crema:
some tahini mixed with pomegranate molasses; or creme fraiche mixed with pimenton......or sour cream mixed w/ dill and garlic (like a tzatziki), whatever you like.

Sprinkle the cucumber halves with kosher salt & black pepper.
Mix with a little olive oil in a bowl to coat.

Heat a well seasoned cast iron skillet and lay the cucumbers face down in the hot pan to sear.

Do not disturb for about 6 minutes, they should be nice and charred.

Slice the cucumbers in half down the middle and plate on top of your choice of crema!

Sprinkle w/ fresh parsley or chives.

SO DELICIOUS.

Let me know if you try this weird but good recipe. :)