Beyond the Pickle
Cucumbers are so prolific that if you decide to plant some and aren’t creative, you can easily end up with a basement filled with jar upon jar of pickles. But there’s so much more that can be done than just brining those babies. Shrimp and Cucumber Stir-fry Peel 1 cucumber, slice in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Slice into 1∕8-inch half-moons. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Saute 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon minced ginger for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir in cucumber, ½ cup snow peas, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Add 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp. Saute 3 minutes. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon rice vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Add to skillet, stirring to combine. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions. Cucumber Avocado Soup Peel and dice 1 cucumber. Add to a blender with 1 ripe diced avocado, 1 chopped green onion (green and white parts), 1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño, ¼ cup chopped mint and ½ cup buttermilk. Purée until smooth. With blender running, add up to 1½ cups cold water to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Chill 1 to 2 hours before serving. Cucumber and Honeydew Margranita To a blender add: 1 cucumber (peeled, deseeded and coarsely chopped), 1½ cups chopped honeydew melon, ¼ cup simple syrup (made by dissolving ¼ cup sugar in ¼ cup hot water), 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon lime zest. Purée until smooth. With blender running, add ¹∕³ cup tequila and 1 tablespoon triple sec. Pour mixture into a shallow bowl, cover and place in freezer. After 1 hour, scrape the ice crystals with a fork. Re-cover and return to freezer. Continue scraping every 30 minutes until it reaches a slushy consistency. Head to the Clayton Farmers Market on Saturday mornings this month to find cucumbers from eco-friendly grower Silent Oaks Farm of Opdyke, Ill.Related Recipes
Most Recent
Justin and Amelia McMillen's Elsworth Supper Club returns to Webster Groves this spring
Justin and Amelia McMillen are using the Elsworth Supper Club to sketch …