Cucumber time. They are in season locally all over the northern hemisphere. Stop by your local organic farm stand and pick some up. Growing up cucumbers were a seasonal food eaten for the cool taste and low calorie addition to any meal. You could judge the onset of summer, by the drop in price and improvement of the flavor of cucumbers.
Now the world is a smaller place. Decent Cucumbers are available most of the year. Eating seasonally means cucumbers come into my diet in the late spring and throughout the summer into fall. When organic cucumbers drop below a $1 each, it is time to indulge in the sweet fresh crunch of a cucumber.
Cucumber’s Nutrition
While most people would not call a cucumber nutrient dense, it does contain specific nutrients at beneficial levels. Vitamin C, Potassium and vitamin K are nutrients you get from cucumber. Vitamin C (l- ascorbic acid)is one of the key antioxidants. Our bodies use it all over the place, protein manufacture skin elasticity, immune support . It also helps regerate other antioxidants in the body.
Potassium is a mineral used in every cell in our body. Most of us benefit from the mineral potassium to balance all the sodium(aka salt) in our standard American diet. We can’t make either vitamin C or Potassium, so a consistent supply in our diet is important.
Vitamin K is really vitamin K1, 2 & 3 is a family of fat soluble vitamins active in blood and bone function. Low Vitamin K has been implicated in a number of illness from Alzheimer’s to clogging of the arteries. People on anticoagulants should work with their doctor on determining the appropriate level of vitamin k in their diet. Click this link for a deeper look into the nutritional components of cucumbers.
Add Cucumbers fresh as part of a green salad. They can be used in water, or smoothies. Ferment them or quick pickle them into pickles of all varieties. Cucumber pickles are the most commonly eaten pickle in the United States. Cucumbers make a great base for dips. They are grown all over the world and are the basis for a number of different condiments.
Cool Cucumber Salad Recipe
Quick and Delicious
Ingredients
- 2 green onions
- 1 cucumber
- 1 avocado
- 1tlb fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tlb fresh chopped basil
- Pinch of sea salt
- Black Pepper to taste
- 1 tlb Olive Oil
- Red Wine or Balsamic Vinegar to taste
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Mandolin always use with guard and care
- dinner spoon
- table spoon
- Cutting Board
- Bowl
Instructions
- Peel Cucumber
- Seed Cucumber by cutting it in half the long way and scooping out the seeds with a spoon.
- Slice very thin
- Slice green onion very thin
- Peel and Chop Avocado
- Chop Herbs
- Combine all the green stuff in a Bowl
- Add vinegar
- Add oil
- Stir to combine. Try not to mash the avocado.
- Salt and pepper to taste
This summer enjoy the guilt free cooling crunch of cucumber all season long. Stay cool as a cucumber…