I’m sure your problem with cukes this season was strictly heat-related. They won’t pollinate in high temps, and that also explains your problems with the fruit itself. I’m certain you kept them watered enough, but the relentless heat was most likely the problem.
I didn’t grow any this season, as I don’t need any more pickles or pickle relish, but I DO love the ‘Summer Dance’ and ‘Sweeter Yet’ varieties.
For sure, year before last was because I had to plant them so late (knee). I watered, but the heat was terrible.
This year, the vines did great, but the cukes themselves looked so bad, I didn’t feel I could give them away (fire station gets what we can’t eat).
The big success was the spaghetti squash! Wow, still producing. I have seen a few squash bugs, but they don’t seem to be causing the damage they wreak on yellow & zucchini squash. My SIL is so impressed, she’s going to try growing it next year. The leaves are prickly - no issues with the deer eating either vines or squash that grew through & outside the fence, so I am going to plant it outside the fence next year.
I sent a bag full of Giant Marconi peppers to my niece Saturday. They were the largest & straightest ones on the bush, 10-12 of them. She cut them in half, took the seeds out & grilled them along with bratwurst. The pepper halves made fantastic ‘low carb’ buns for the brats. She sent me a picture that just about had me drooling & now I am going to have to give this a try. I have some peppers that are big enough, though not as huge as the ones I gave her & they have various degrees of ‘curve’ to them, but once grilled & softer, I think some of the less curvy ones will work.