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The Cucumber Let’s hear it for the cucumber. There’s one in every fridge and no one can ever really tell you why. It is perhaps the most maligned vegetable next to the turnip. These politically incorrect shaped gourds have been blamed for a large share of the world’s digestive disorders, as well as the ensuing breach of etiquette that can sometimes be impossible to squelch. They have also been dismissed as tasteless, bitter and nutritionally worthless. In fact, it is unclear which flaw Mr. Johnson had in mind when he declared that a cucumber be “well sliced and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out as good for nothing”. We
can certainly make the case for a lack of nutrients in a cucumber –
the gourd is 98% water. And it is reasonable to say that cucumbers are
not exactly the most distinctly flavoured thing to come from the garden.
However, cucumbers quench and crunch and on these grounds alone they
have their place in the kitchen. The
earliest known cucumber dates from 6000 BC and was found in Thailand.
Even now, cooks in Southeast Asia, peel, seed and slice cucumbers into
impossibly long, linguini –like strands and use them to garnish simple
bowls of rice. Asian’s
and North American’s favour raw cucumber while European’s like
theirs cooked. Either way, a cucumbers strength lies in its neutrality.
It will absorb flavours around it and remain crisp and cheerful and
innocuous. Most
cucumbers sold in Canada are slicing cucumbers. Pickling cucumbers have
thicker skins and are bred to stay firm, even as they absorb flavour.
They are therefore the best choice for cooking. If
you lightly salt a cucumber after peeling and slicing it, you can leech
out some of its moisture and thus avoid watery salads or stir-fries. Or
you can dump sliced cucumbers in salted ice water; this technique does
not dehydrate the cucumber as much as salt does, but will stiffen it and
accentuate the taste. It’s
the crunch that is so at odds with a cucumber’s delicate taste. How
could such a challenge to the palate disappear from the palate leaving
behind on a cool clean shadow? But don’t discount the virtue of such a
moment in the middle of passion and complexity. A respite of cool calm
can be a relief, in both romance and cooking Cucumber
and Potato Soup Serves
8 4
pounds large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes 2
pounds cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced 2
large white onions, peeled and minced 2
1/2 cups milk 1
½ cups cream 1
bunch fresh dill 2
teaspoons salt white
pepper to taste 1)
Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to
a boil over a high heat, reduce heat to medium and cook until tender,
about 10 minutes. 2)
Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cucumbers and onion.
Simmer for 5 more minutes. 3)
Add the cream, milk, dill, salt and white pepper and chill. |
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