This summer we have a crew of talented and creative young folks working in the Vineyard Gazette/Martha’s Vineyard magazine office. One of them revealed herself to be a serious foodie not long after starting; she leapt at the chance to cover cookbook author Eric Kim’s visit to the Island.

So when Brooke Kushwaha told me about her enthusiasm for updated cucumber sandwiches, my ears perked up. I’m sadly allergic to cucumbers (and melons); I’ve even stopped growing them to avoid handling them. But this abundant, refreshing, and versatile fruit-we-call-a-vegetable is under-appreciated, Brooke posited.

The happy result: three refreshing updates on cucumber sandwiches from Brooke’s repertoire. First, an architectural rif on both banh mi and a poke bowl (but without raw fish) — a stuffed baguette called the Furikake Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Sandwich. It features a Sriracha mayo, soy-sesame dressed greens, sliced avocado, and furikake seasoning in addition to the sliced cucumbers and smoked salmon. (If you’re not familiar with furikake, it’s a nutty, salty seasoning made from crumbled dried seaweed, sesame seeds, salt and sugar. It's available in grocery stores under Eden brand and others.)