Best In Season - June - written by Chef Consultant, Celia Brooks
Cool as a…
Cucumber season is in full swing. While they are available all year round, summer is the only time for homegrown cucumbers, and their fresh, watery crispness is especially appealing during warmer months.
Cukes are technically fruits, being the cousins of watermelons - and are just as refreshing, so they lend themselves well to all kinds of cold drinks and cocktails. Thin slices or long shavings of cucumber in ice water somehow make it even more thirst quenching. Naturally a Pimm’s would not be a Pimm’s without little chunks of cucumber, strawberries and mint leaves.
If you’re counting calories, you can munch on cucumbers until the cows come home, as they contain hardly any - a whole average cucumber only has about 30 calories! Instead of reaching for a bag of crisps when you need a snack, cut up some cucumber wedges and add a little sea salt for a super healthy and filling alternative (or see Mexican cucumbers, below). They also contain immune-boosting phytonutrients and fibre for a healthy gut.
Babies are the sweetest! Seek out mini or baby or Lebanese cucumbers - these range in size from finger-length to about half the length of a standard cucumber. These have almost no seeds and a pronounced flavour. The skin is almost non-existent, so you never need to peel them - though standard English cucumbers have a thin and totally edible skin too. If your cucumber variety has prickles or lumps, taste the skin to make sure it isn’t bitter or tough.
Here are some of my favourite cucumber classics, plus my own twist on a traditional Chinese recipe that’s super fun to make, below.
Tzatziki - an essential dip for a summer meze platter: Add grated or finely chopped cucumber to Greek yoghurt with a little crushed garlic, lemon juice and salt, then finish with a drizzle of EVOO. Serve with pita bread, crackers or breadsticks.
Quick Asian pickle - a perfect side for noodle and rice dishes: Mix a dressing of rice vinegar, honey, light soy sauce and sesame oil - taste for a good balance of sweet / sour / salty. Mix through thinly sliced cucumbers and chill for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Mexican cucumbers - a tasty bar snack to serve with a cerveza: Cut cucumber wedges and lay cut-side up on a plate. Squeeze lime juice over them and finish with sea salt and taco seasoning mix or any chilli powder mix.
Chilled cucumber soup - a Balkan-style gazpacho for 2: In a blender, whizz until smooth 1 medium cucumber cut into chunks, 1 small chopped garlic clove, 250ml yoghurt, 125ml water, a handful of fresh mint leaves, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Chill well, then top each bowl with finely chopped walnuts.
Cucumber sorbet or granita - a palate-cleansing dessert - you’ll find lots of easy recipes online.
Kale & smacked cucumber salad
From “SuperVeg” by Celia Brooks
Fancy venting some aggression on a cucumber? It’s fun! Smacked cucumber is a classic and ingenious Sichuan dish that is made my whacking the living daylights out of a cucumber to make it pulpy so it instantly absorbs a pungent dressing. I’ve combined it here with very finely chopped raw kale and hulled hemp seeds to deliver a quite substantial and uber-healthy salad with max flavour and texture impact.
The hulled (skinned) hemp seeds could elevate this dish from a mere side salad to a light main course, especially if you added some grains or noodles. Hemp seeds are brilliant for sprinkling on salads and much more, and I wouldn’t be without them at home. Hemp seeds with the shell still on have a popcorn-like crunch and are great for adding to bread and baking, but the hulled version is much more versatile and easy to eat. They are widely available in health food shops, and are powerfully nutritious, being high in omega-3 fats, protein, iron and magnesium. I try to get at least a handful in me every day with cereal, yoghurt or just munching them by the spoonful as a snack – they are totally scrumptious.
Serves 4
Ingredients
75g kale or cavolo nero, stripped from stems, washed and drained
1 large cucumber, about 300 – 350g, rinsed
½ teaspoon fine salt
For the dressing:
4 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 garlic clove, crushed
To serve:
4 tablespoons hulled hemp seeds
2 teaspoons chilli oil (optional)
OPTIONS:
Hulled hemp seeds can be replaced with finely chopped raw cashews or toasted sesame seeds
Serve with cold cooked quinoa or noodles to make it a main course
Method
1) Pulse the kale in a food processor until it is finely chopped and has the appearance of chopped curly parsley, (alternatively, chop very finely by hand). Choose a medium mixing bowl which will fit in the fridge and scoop the kale into it.
2) Smack the cucumber. Place it on a chopping board and whack it several times all over with a rolling pin (or another unbreakable heavy object) until it is slightly flattened and cracked, though not completely pulverised. The cucumber should be broken and the core slightly pulpy. Now cut it lengthways into quarters, then cut on the diagonal into 1cm / ½ inch pieces. Add to the bowl of kale. Add the salt and stir. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes.
3) Mix together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
4) Take the kale and cucumber from the fridge and empty into a sieve to drain off the liquid. Return to the bowl and mix through the dressing.
5) Place the mixture in a serving bowl or individual bowls and top with hulled hemp seeds. Add a few drops of chilli oil if desired. Eat right away.
NOTE: Although this is best eaten immediately, leftovers will keep refrigerated for 24 hours.
