In Praise of the Lowly Cucumber

'On sweltering August days, no one wants to spend time at the stove, and sometimes the grill is even too much to bear.  Some days your best kitchen tool is a blender and your most refreshing ingredient is a cooling cucumber. 

Although it will never be mistaken for a superfood, the common cucumber has been around for a long time and is probably here to stay.  Originating in India over 3,000 years ago, it's believed that cucumbers were brought to America by Christopher Columbus.'




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Recipe for Cucumber, Onion, and Parsley Salad with Feta Cheese

From Kalyn's Kitchen

'(Updated and added to Recipe Favorites May 2010.) I don't remember where I originally found the idea for this simple cucumber, onion, and parsley salad with feta cheese and lemon vinaigrette, but it ended up being a flavor combination I loved, and when I made it again recently I decided it was time to update the photos. This salad is a great way to use cucumbers from the garden (when you start getting them!) but when I don't have garden cucumbers, I use mild European cucumbers or small Persian cucumbers. If you're not sure about raw red onion, soak the onion in cold water for a few minutes to remove some of the bite. I used flat Italian Parsley from my herb garden for this, but curly parsley would work. I think simple fresh-tasting cucumber salads like this make a perfect warm-weather lunch, or serve this as a side dish for grilled meat.'


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