<p>We might call cucumber a humble kitchen essential, but it had royal beginnings.<br /><br /></p>.<p> Historical records have cited how the royal Roman cooks flavoured cucumbers with wines or flowers of silphium plants, daily, much to the delight of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Sumerians and Persians, and the Western Jin Dynasty, too, were fond of it. Then, it appeared as a primary ingredient in the classic Greek salad commoners made.<br />Persian Shirazi Salad<br /><br />Ingredients: 4 medium-sized cucumbers (diced), 2 tomatoes (diced), ¼ cup of parsley (chopped), 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and lemon juice, salt to taste. Method: Mix the cucumbers and the tomatoes well with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Serve chilled.<br /><br />Cucumber-Mint-Dill Soup<br /><br />Ingredients: 2 small cucumbers (peeled and sliced into thin strips), 1 onion (chopped), a small bunch of dill leaves (chopped), 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar, 2-3 cups of chicken stock, water as desired, ¼ cup of low-fat milk, salt and black pepper to taste. <br /><br />Method: Place the cucumber strips, chopped onion and the dill leaves in a bowl. Add the vinegar, chicken stock and water as required for a soup consistency. Stir and boil this mixture over a gentle flame. Cook until the cucumbers turn soft. Cool this whole soup mixture and subsequently, pour it into a blender (preferably in batches). Add a pinch of black pepper as well as salt and then, blend until a smooth consistency is achieved. <br /><br />Finally, ladle out the mixture into bowls, and serve chilled.<br /><br />Peppy Cucumber Salad<br /><br />Ingredients: 4 cucumbers (cut into round shape), 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 1 ½ teaspoons of mustard sauce, salt and sugar as desired. <br /><br />Method: Mix the cucumbers with salt (as required) and keep aside for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the white vinegar, mustard sauce and sugar, to make a dressing. Subsequently, coat the salted cucumbers well with this dressing. Refrigerate for an hour and serve. <br />Cucumber Confetti<br /><br />Ingredients: 2 cucumbers (peeled and finely grated); 1 red capsicum (chopped), 2 green spring onions (finely chopped), 2 tablespoons honey and 1 ½ tablespoons of lime juice. <br /><br />Method: Mix all the ingredients. Toss well and serve immediately, at room temperature. <br /><br />Cucumber & Spinach Juice<br /><br />Ingredients: 1 medium-sized cucumber (peeled and diced in), 1 bundle of spinach (coarsely chopped). <br /><br />Method: Blend these ingredients until smooth consistency is achieved. Then, strain out the juice, pour into glasses and serve immediately.<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>We might call cucumber a humble kitchen essential, but it had royal beginnings.<br /><br /></p>.<p> Historical records have cited how the royal Roman cooks flavoured cucumbers with wines or flowers of silphium plants, daily, much to the delight of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Sumerians and Persians, and the Western Jin Dynasty, too, were fond of it. Then, it appeared as a primary ingredient in the classic Greek salad commoners made.<br />Persian Shirazi Salad<br /><br />Ingredients: 4 medium-sized cucumbers (diced), 2 tomatoes (diced), ¼ cup of parsley (chopped), 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and lemon juice, salt to taste. Method: Mix the cucumbers and the tomatoes well with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Serve chilled.<br /><br />Cucumber-Mint-Dill Soup<br /><br />Ingredients: 2 small cucumbers (peeled and sliced into thin strips), 1 onion (chopped), a small bunch of dill leaves (chopped), 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar, 2-3 cups of chicken stock, water as desired, ¼ cup of low-fat milk, salt and black pepper to taste. <br /><br />Method: Place the cucumber strips, chopped onion and the dill leaves in a bowl. Add the vinegar, chicken stock and water as required for a soup consistency. Stir and boil this mixture over a gentle flame. Cook until the cucumbers turn soft. Cool this whole soup mixture and subsequently, pour it into a blender (preferably in batches). Add a pinch of black pepper as well as salt and then, blend until a smooth consistency is achieved. <br /><br />Finally, ladle out the mixture into bowls, and serve chilled.<br /><br />Peppy Cucumber Salad<br /><br />Ingredients: 4 cucumbers (cut into round shape), 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, 1 ½ teaspoons of mustard sauce, salt and sugar as desired. <br /><br />Method: Mix the cucumbers with salt (as required) and keep aside for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the white vinegar, mustard sauce and sugar, to make a dressing. Subsequently, coat the salted cucumbers well with this dressing. Refrigerate for an hour and serve. <br />Cucumber Confetti<br /><br />Ingredients: 2 cucumbers (peeled and finely grated); 1 red capsicum (chopped), 2 green spring onions (finely chopped), 2 tablespoons honey and 1 ½ tablespoons of lime juice. <br /><br />Method: Mix all the ingredients. Toss well and serve immediately, at room temperature. <br /><br />Cucumber & Spinach Juice<br /><br />Ingredients: 1 medium-sized cucumber (peeled and diced in), 1 bundle of spinach (coarsely chopped). <br /><br />Method: Blend these ingredients until smooth consistency is achieved. Then, strain out the juice, pour into glasses and serve immediately.<br /><br /><br /></p>
