Cucumbers are one of the few vegetables mentioned in the Bible, and in that instance it was with longing. Our Jewish brethren – pretty much put out with all that wandering with Moses, and with the repetitious menu of butter cakes made from manna – wept and cried for past culinary pleasures.
They remembered and longed for the cucumbers of Egypt and for the fish, watermelons, leeks, onions and garlic.
After the generations of work by plant hybridizers, we don’t know how similar our present seed catalog cukes are to those of the Egyptians, but we know they are good and are almost a must for summer meals.
If you are looking for a vegetable high in food value, you’ll look for soybeans, not cucumbers – which are eaten mainly because they taste good, always crisp. Six ⅛-inch slices contain 9 mg of phosphorus and 80 mg of potassium. One plus is that these six thin slices have only 6 calories.
The best way to eat cucumbers is plain with salt. If you have a lot of cucumbers, you may want to try some additional things, and here are three recipes for you. Because they are so quickly peeled, sliced and salted, cucumbers are a good addition to any … Sunday Dinner.
Frosty Cucumber Soup
3 cups mashed potatoes, newly made or leftover
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and seeded
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 10½-ounce can chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
In medium saucepan, simmer the cucumbers, onion, salt and pepper in the chicken broth about 25 minutes. Empty into blender and blend until smooth. Add the mashed potatoes and cream and blend well.
Refrigerate overnight and serve chilled. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream.
Pork with Cucumbers
½ pound uncooked pork, any cut such as loin, ham, etc.
½ teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oil
½ cup water
3 4-inch cucumbers
Cut the pork into small pieces. Mix the cornstarch and soy sauce. Dip and roll the pork pieces in the cornstarch-soy sauce mix. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the dredged pork, sautéing for a few seconds.
When pork begins to brown, add the half cup of water. Cover and simmer a few minutes until the meat is tender.
Peel cucumbers and cut into quarters lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Add to the meat in skillet and heat thoroughly. Serve hot. Serves 4.
Cucumbers in Sour Cream
2 medium cucumbers, unpeeled and thinly sliced
1 medium sweet onion, very thinly sliced
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
Combine the sliced cucumbers and sliced onion. Mix together the sour cream, sugar, vinegar and salt, and toss with the vegetables. Chill well, stirring occasionally. Makes about 3 cups.