A Cucumber A Day Keeps The Doctor Away

Grow cucumbers on wire
fencing for easier picking

Cucumbers have the highest alkaline forming rating of all the vegetables available in your local grocer or your  backyard garden, so eat them as often as you can and any way you can.  My favorite way is to pluck them off the vine and eat them as a snack.  A cucumber fresh off the vine is crunchy and sweet and cool---cool as a cucumber.  But, cucumbers also pair well in condiments with the heat from chilis and spices, and they are excellent alkaline boosters to accompany poultry and fish.  You know the old saying an apple a day keeps the doctor away?  I am officially replacing it with a cucumber a day!  Here are five ways to use cukes in your daily meal planning, each starring the smartest of all vegetables---the cucumber.   Eat smart, America!

 1.       Cucumber dip

             Dice a cucumber, add a dollop of Greek yogurt, a few jalapeno slices, cilantro and an avocado.  Blend until smooth and use it to dip crudités or whole grain pita wedges.

          2.        Cucumber soup 

            In the blender combine mint, cucumber, chicken stock, and goat cheese for a cool as a cucumber refreshing chilled soup starter before any meal.

3.       Chopped cucumber salad

Cucumbers can be sliced, diced, curled or rough chopped and make an eat smart salad when paired with radish, tomatoes, basil, with or without a goat cheese garnish.  Even on their own, they are perfect with fresh herbs and a sprinkle of oil and lemon.

4.       Cucumber condiments 

             Ice box pickles are easy to make with no cooking required.  Just pack cucumber slices in a jar of cider vinegar, a little brown sugar, some onion and celery.  Add celery seed, mustard seed, a pinch of sea salt and refrigerate.    Or for a zesty cucumber salsa follow my recipe below.

A cucumber a day
keeps the doctor away!

5.       Wholey cucumber

            The perfect snack food eaten whole! 

Cucumber jalapeno salsa 

This recipe yields 6 cups.  Cucumbers don’t last very long in the refrigerator once cut so make only what you can eat a day or two at a time.

Yield:   Approximately 6 cups          

Preparation Time:  20 minutes 

Cooking Time:  0

Ingredients

3 each cucumber, Mexican, small dice, peel on

2 each jalapeno, brunois

1 cup corn, frozen whole kernel

4 each scalliions, diced, green part only

8 sprigs cilantro, fresh, rough chopped

1 cup vinegar, apple cider

1 pinch sea salt

2 tablespoons sugar, dark brown, real molasses

1 each juice and zest of lemon, optional

Directions

Combine apple cider, salt, lemon and sugar and whisk until sugar is dissolve.  Fold in the remaining  ingredients.  Chill and serve.

Recommended Service:  Top off fish or fowl, mix into quinoa as a salad or top off a dinner salad by adding a little oil and cucumber salsa.

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AnbelaB