A Most Refreshing Water
What do you do when your garden produces too much produce? You get creative!
In my case today, the case in point would be cucumbers. Unlike stocking up in bulk like you might do for proteins purchased at the farmer’s market which can be frozen, or buying large quantities of dried herbs and spices which will last far longer, there’s not too much one can do to save cucumbers from an early demise, should they be in surplus.
So today, when I’d exhausted my outreach to neighbors and friends to share the cukes, I realized I needed something else to do with them.
Here’s what I came up with:
- Cucumber Water. Refreshing, still zero sugar and with an ever so slight flavor, slicing them up and throwing them in a glass pitcher with water and other fresh herbs or a bit of citrus of your choosing is an easy way to use up the bounty.
- Cucumber Juice. Yep, that’s right ! Run them through your juicer with your choice of fresh leafy greens, then add in some avocado and mint to make a more nutrient dense smoothie that will sustain you far longer than juice alone. And this will work for your vegan friends, too!
- Canapes. Who needs gluten-free grain or seed based-crackers when you can use ‘nature’s cracker’? Cut thick slices and top with guacamole, salsa or whatever veggie-fat spreadable concoction you come up with!
- Relish. Dice with fresh mint (or puree), add a jalapeño and serve with your favorite local, grilled fish.
- Treat your eyes; slice them up and take a 10 minute breather while you do some breath work. Oh, twist my arm!
Not only rejuvenation, cucumbers are good sources of phytonutrients (plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties) such flavonoids, lignans and triterpenes, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits (1)
No need to waste anything, be it animal or plant.
Cheers!
(1) https://www.livescience.com/51000-cucumber-nutrition.html
