Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Fun Facts About Fresh Cucumbers

It’s cucumber season and who knew the “cool” cucumber is good for more than just your salad!  

Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins that you need every day.  Just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folic acid, Vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.  Who needs a Multi-Vitamin, just eat some cucumbers!!  

Instead of your afternoon shot of caffeine, pick up a cucumber.  Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide a quick pick-me-up, that last way longer than your afternoon soda.  

Strange fact, try rubbing a cucumber along your bathroom mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a spa like fragrance.  

Do you have grubs or slugs in your plant beds?  Place a few slices of cucumber in a small tin pan and your garden will be free of these pesky bugs.  Chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent that will drive away garden pests!!  

Want to avoid a headache?  Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake of refreshed and headache free!  

Need to erase pen marks?  Or even crayons?  Take the outside of a cucumber and rub it on the marks to erase them!  

My favorite fact though is, of course eating them.   Give these recipes a try and enjoy some fresh crunchy cucumbers!!  

Cucumber Cream Cheese Spread 

½ cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks

3 green onions

8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

⅛ teaspoon salt

Add 1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks to food processor bowl. Trim away roots from base of 3 green onions and cut into slices and place in food processor. 

Cover and process until coarsely chopped !

Add 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Cover and process again until combined. Again, try not to over process so you have some chunks of cucumber in there. Transfer to a bowl.

Cover and refrigerate overnight for flavors to blend. Please don’t skip this step and try to eat it right away – trust me, it makes a big difference in flavor when you let it hang out overnight.

Serves 4, each serving contains;  Calories 68, Carbohydrates 6g., Protein 9g., Sodium 487mg., Sugar 3g.  

Fresh Herb Salad with Cucumber and Avocado

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil

½ teaspoon salt

1 large cucumber or two small ones, thinly sliced

1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted and sliced crosswise

Toss shallot rings with lime juice in a large bowl; let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Whisk in oil, mint, basil and salt. Add cucumber; toss to coat. Let the cucumber marinate in the dressing, tossing occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cucumber to a platter; top with avocado. Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Serve immediately.

Serves 4, each serving contains;  Calories 199, Fat 18g., Carbohydrates 10g., Protein 2g. 

Cucumber Tuna Salad Bites

1 5 oz can chunk light tuna in water, drained well

2 tsp minced red onion, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes, then drained and rinsed

1 Tbsp minced celery

1 Tbsp minced dill

1/4 C mayo

1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 cucumbers with slices down the sides

3 grape tomatoes sliced into quarters

Dill sprigs for garnish

Combine the tuna, red onion, celery, dill, mayo, lemon juice, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix together with a fork while breaking up the tuna until evenly combined.

Peel 4 slices of evenly-spaced skin off of the cucumbers, creating a striped pattern. Cut the cucumber in 1/3-1/2 inch slices and then, using a melon baller, scoop out the center, leaving the bottom of the slice intact to create a cup. Plan on making about 12 cucumber cups.

Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon of tuna salad into each cucumber slice. Garnish with 1/4 of a sliced grape tomato and a sprig of dill. Serve immediately.

Fresh Cucumber Salsa

1 cup peeled and diced cucumber

1 tomato, seeded and diced, about 1 cup

1/3 cup red onion

1 jalapeno, diced

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Combine cucumber, tomato, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper together in a bowl.  Mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.  

Serve with chips or vegetable sticks.  Serves 4.  

Cucumber Shrimp Salad

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 large cucumber or 2 smaller ones, diced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

For the Dressing

1/3 mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

1 large lime, zested and juiced

2 tablespoons, chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the dressing, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime zest and juice, dill, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Set aside or place in the fridge. 

For the shrimp, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until cooked through and pink.  

While the shrimp are cooking, prepare an ice water bath.  Remove the shrimp to the ice water bath using a skimmer.  Let them cool for about 3 minutes, drain.  Chope them into bite sized pieces.  

For the salad, stir together the chopped shrimp, red onion, diced cucumber and dressing until creamy.  

Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 349, Carbohydrates 9g., Protein 32g., Fat 20g., Sodium 1598mg., Fiber 1g., Sugar 3g.  

Thai Cucumber Salad

1 pound cucumbers, about 6-7 small, peeled and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons salt

¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

½ cup rice vinegar

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Place the cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle the salt over them.   Toss to coat the cucumber slices in salt. Let sit 10 minutes.

Use a paper towel to blot the cucumber slices dry.

Place the rice vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Place the cucumbers and red onion in a large bowl, then pour the rice vinegar mixture over the top.

Add the cilantro to the cucumber mixture and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or up to 24 hours.

Sprinkle the peanuts over the top, then serve.

Serves 4, each serving contains; Calories 143, Carbohydrates 26g., Protein 2g., Fat 3g., Sodium 891mg., Fiber 1g., Sugar 12g.