Cool as a Cucumber

It’s true, you know. Cucumbers really are cool. Up to 20 degrees cooler than the surrounding air, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Though I’m not sure why they care…

Anyway, it’s hot and cucumbers are cool and plentiful so it seems like a good time to talk about cool ways to enjoy them. Cool and easy ways to enjoy them. Starting with CUCUMBER WATER. With cucumber, lemon, mint and fresh ginger (or any combination of these), it’s a refreshing way to get in the extra water you need on these hot summer days. And ladies, it helps beat the summertime bloat,too!

Gazpacho has been described as a salad that you drink and frequently has tomatoes, onion, and other vegetables in addition to cucumbers. CHILLED CUCUMBER SOUP WITH MINT & YOGURT is less complicated than a lot of recipes. In fact, the blog where I found the recipe says you can make it in less than three minutes! While I don’t know about that, it is quick and easy. Just be sure to include at least an hour for the soup to chill. I’ve seen recipes that say to serve it in a bowl sitting inside a bowl of ice to be sure that it is ice cold when eaten. You don’t need to go that far. Just chill it well and serve it as soon as it comes out of the fridge.

Pickle making is usually a long, involved process. Trust Rachael Ray to come up with QUICK PICKLES that can be made in 15 minutes! They’re dills, with just a hint of sweetness.

And finally, CUCUMBER ICE POPS, with lime and chili. I’m giving you the original recipe, but the site where I found the recipe suggests cutting back either on the amount of chili or the type. I agree.

Stay cool!

Mary Anne

A Rose by Any Other Name...

…still tastes as sweet!

Roses have been used as food and medicine for centuries – like at least back to First Century Greece. Rose petals and rose hips were collected and eaten in Britain during WWII because of the food shortages there. The hips especially are high in several vitamins, especially Vitamin C. But the best thing about them is the taste. Different varieties of roses used to have different scents and thus different flavors, but the modern hybridized roses tend to all smell and taste alike and have much less odor and flavor than the old ones. Another example of progress. Sigh.

Whatever roses you use, be sure that they haven’t been sprayed. Most roses have been well doused with pesticides, which you probably don’t want to eat. Wild roses, too, may have been sprayed with various chemicals and may have absorbed gas fumes if they are near a road or highway.

When my family moved to Idaho, our house had lots of roses out back, and I made rose petal jam and jelly the first summer. We didn’t much like the jam; we found the texture of the rose petals unpleasant. But the WILD ROSE PETAL JELLY was good. The recipe called for wild roses, but we just used the ones in the backyard.

ROSE WATER is used in many Middle Eastern and Indian recipes. You can buy it, but it’s easy to make yourself. Rose Water is an ingredient in the following recipes.

HONEY AND ROSE COOLER is a refreshing and cooling drink, perfect for a hot summer day. For an elegant (and yes, definitely girly!) afternoon snack, serve it with ROSEWATER COOKIES and ROSE PETAL SANDWICHES. Maybe for an engagement party or a shower?

The most unusual recipe I found is for ROSE PETAL PESTO. I don’t have a problem with roses and basil, or even with roses and cheese. But roses and garlic? I’ll leave that one to you. Let me know if you try it and what you think.

Roses can be used in other ways, too. Rose Hip Tea can be made by pouring boiling water over crushed rose hips and letting it steep. A few rose petals can be added to lemonade or to salads. Rose petals can be added to honey or to butter or can be crystalized and used to decorate cakes, cookies, etc. You can find recipes for these and other delicacies online by googling rose recipes.

Don't forget to take time to smell - and taste! - the roses!

Mary Anne

Cucumber Water

There’s not really a recipe for this. Just combine some thinly sliced cucumber (peeled if it’s from a store), thinly sliced lemon, peeled and thinly sliced fresh ginger, and a few mint leaves in a pitcher and fill it with water. Recipes range from 4 slices of cucumber and lemon in a gallon of water to a whole cucumber and a whole lemon in half a gallon. I usually make it in a 2-quart pitcher and use about 2” of cucumber and half a lemon. I make up a pitcher of it, pour some out into a glass with ice cubes, and put the rest in the fridge until I’m ready for it. I don’t like it if it’s left overnight; something goes off with the flavor. But some recipes say to refrigerate it overnight. 

Honey and Rose Cooler

(from tarladalal.com)

4 c water

2 c fresh rose petals

2 T honey

½ t rose water

A few petals for garnishing (optional)

A few ice cubes with rose petals frozen inside (optional)

Boil the water in a small pan and add the petals. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the petals discolor. Cool and strain. Combine the cooled water, honey, and rose water in a shaker and shake vigorously. Pour into tall glasses and top with rose ice cubes. Garnish with fresh petals and serve.

Rose ice cubes – Fill ice cube trays half full with water and freeze. Place a clean rose petal on each ice cube and fill with water, leaving the petal in the middle of the cube.