Lemon Cucumber Salad
With the days getting hotter, we want to spend less time over the stove. This week we are featuring a CSA add-on: Lemon Cucumbers. They are cool, crisp, and refreshing! Here is a recipe that is easy peasy lemon ‘cuke’ squeezy!
Lemon cucumbers are spherical to oval-shaped cucumbers that exhibit colorful skin, pearly white to deep yellow, that mimics a lemon. Hence, why they are named lemon cucumbers. While they do not have a lemony taste, lemon cucumbers have a high water content which attributes to their cool, crisp texture. They offer beneficial nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamin A & C, iron, and calcium. Lemon Cucumbers are a low calorie and high alkaline fruit. They are quite versatile and can be used the same way as traditional cucumbers.
Selection & Storage: Since lemon cucumbers are grown as a novelty item, the best selection of lemon cucumbers can be found at your local farmers market or in this week’s Spade & Plow CSA add-ons. Proper storage is essential to protect their flavor, texture, and nutritional content. To properly store, wrap the cucumber in a dry paper towel, and place in a plastic bag. This will keep the fruit dry which should allow them to remain firm for 3-5 days.
Lemon cucumbers tend to be sweeter, juicier, and have milder tasting rind making them perfect for eating whole, sliced, or diced. This week’s recipe by Spade & Plow features lemon cucumbers in their simplest form, sliced with some red onions, slivered almonds, fresh mint, and a simple dressing. This salad is simple to execute and refreshing to eat, you will be going back for seconds.
Easy Lemon Cucumber Salad
Ingredients:
2-3 Lemon Cucumbers
1 Small Red Onion
3 Sprigs of Mint
½ Cup Slivered Raw Almonds
2 Tb White Wine Vinegar
¼ Cup Olive Oil
Recipe
Thinly slice Lemon Cucumbers and Red Onion. Layer in a serving dish. Sprinkle with fresh mint leaves and slivered almonds.
Mix Olive Oil and Vinegar with salt & pepper to taste. Drizzle over salad.
Enjoy!
Try some of these Recipe Variations:
Add blackberries or strawberries
Dress with Dill and Lemon Juice
Add some drops of fresh Pesto
Don’t have almonds? Try with walnuts, pinenuts, pistachios, or cashews!
