recipe: cool as a cucumber (a few recipes in one)

a few days ago, i was gifted a few things from the little garden. a large cucumber, and plenty of mint…

it was a scorcher of a day.  i gathered up my ingredients…

i modified a family recipe slightly.

how i made a cool cucumber soup:

• grated the cucumber, skin, seeds and all (a source of fibre and vitamin a)
• took fresh mint leaves off the stalk and chop them; i used kitchen shears while holding them in a bundle. if i didn’t have fresh herbs, i’d use about a tablespoon dried, but the fresh stuff really has more of a “cooling” effect which is what i was after…
• combined the sour cream, yogurt and vinegar (lemon juice works too), and to it added the shredded cucumber and mint and mixed everything.
• added a bit of salt and pepper.
• served it in bowls i had cooling in the freezer…

makes about 4 bowls. yup, you eat it like a soup.

a few notes:

• you can add ice cubes to cool things further.
• you can take this basic recipe, add a clove or 7 of garlic (no such thing as too much garlic), add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and you have a simple, creamy salad dressing.
• you can add a bit of water and ice cubes to create a thinner consistency and serve it in glasses as a drink. this drink is popular in the middle east, where they know a thing or two about staying cool in the heat.
• menthol oil found in mint has cooling properties. “cool as a cucumber” is an idiom (and also uses alliteration — my grade 8 english teacher would be so proud!), but cucumbers are able to maintain an internal temperature that is cooler than the air surrounding it. now you know…