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Cucumbers
Cool as a cucumber is no exaggeration. Cucumbers can be up to 20 degrees cooler inside than the ambient air. Cucumbers are available at grocery stores all the year round, but are at their best during their natural season of summer and early fall.
All About Cucumbers
Get the best from cucumbers with information on how to buy, store, and use these cooling summer vegetables.
Cucumber Varieties
Once available only at the best-stocked farmers markets, different varieties are showing up at co-ops and grocery stores (not to mention garden patches). Here's a guide to some cucumber varieties - Armenian, English, lemon, Persian - you may encounter and how to use them.
Cooling Cucumber Salads
These crisp cucumber salads are perfect for cooling off on hot summer days or adding crunch to meals anytime of year.
Cucumber Cocktails
Cucumbers add their cooling power and lovely fresh, herbal flavor to refreshing cocktails (and a great mocktail). Get the recipes here.
Cold Cucumber Yogurt Soup
Cold soups are perfect to beat the summer heat. This combination of yogurt and cucumber (kicked up with a bit of garlic and dill or mint) cools on several levels.
Corn, Cucumber, Tomato Salad
Corn, Cucumber, Tomato Salad is fresh, cool, and super easy. It's a great summer salad and goes great alongside any grilled meal and the perfect addition to any potluck.
Cucumber & Yogurt Salad (Tzatziki)
Shredded cucumber is dressed with garlicky yogurt in this simple, refreshing, cooling, salad.
Cucumber Martinis
Cucumber Martinis are as cool and refreshing as cucumbers themselves.
Cucumber Mint Soda
A few slices of cucumber, a bit of sugar, a sprig of mint, and a blast of club soda or seltzer water make a refreshing, decidedly grown-up, homemade soda pop.
Cucumber Sake Cocktail
A few slices of cucumber transform humble sake into a remarkably refreshing cocktail, as if by magic.
Cucumber Vodka
Cucumber Vodka (vodka infused with cucumbers) makes for cool and easy summer cocktails.
Cucumbers & Soy Sauce
Drizzle slices of cucumber with soy sauce or tamari for a quick, nutritious snack.
Cucumbers With Mint Yogurt Dressing
A simple mint yogurt sauce turns sliced cucumber into an easy salad or quick appetizer.
Fattoush Salad
Fattoush is a great salad of fresh vegetables, a bright dressing, and pieces of crisp pita bread.
Herb Cucumber Tossed Salad
A tossed salad with cucumbers, carrots, mint, dill, and parsley is an easy and refreshing addition to simple meals.
Homemade Pickle Relish
Use fresh cucumbers to create a sweet and savory relish, perfect for hot dogs and burgers.
Radish Mint Cucumber Tossed Salad
A tossed salad with cucumbers, mint, and radishes is an easy and refreshing addition to simple summer meals.
Spanish Gazpacho Soup
Spanish tomato and cucumber gazpacho soup is smooth and subtle and perfect for hot summer days.
Spicy Korean Cucumber Pickles
These spicy Korean pickles are easy to make and delicious.